The sea of ash blinded Charlotte and left her unable to breathe. Strong arms grabbed her. Jake held her close as he led her away from the thick, roiling powder-filled air. Devlin, who had been some distance away with Brandi and Rachel, ran back into the dust and helped Michael escape.
At that moment, a cold, violent wind rose out of nowhere, swept the cloud of soot into a tornado that swirled around the village men alone, and pinned them to one spot.
The villagers’ forms faded and then flickered and returned as they struggled against their fate. Kohler stared at Michael with malice while the world that kept him alive collapsed. His body shuddered as he struggled but failed to break the paralysis that came over him.
The others, Francis Masterson who had called himself Will Durham, Noah H
