JAMIE
The moment Amber’s voice dropped into that raspy, unnatural tone out by the tree, something inside me broke. It was as if something ancient had moved through her. For a few terrifying minutes, it wasn’t Amber looking back at us, and I wasn’t even sure if the girl we knew was still inside her.
We had been lucky. Ethan had taken the lead, trying to speak to her with the patience he usually lacked, while Zac and Toby had flanked him in support. I had hung back, waiting for the right moment to step in, not sure if words would be enough. Then, somehow, through a mixture of Ethan’s persistence and Amber’s own strength, the energy had broken. Her body had gone still, and when she blinked, the strange glow in her eyes was gone.
Now, she sat slumped beneath the tree, breathing hard, her pa
