CHAPTER 18Ping helped Mara get to her feet. When they turned toward the campsite on the far side of the clearing, it appeared the nearby trees and shrubs bared down on Diana and Sam, shifting from the darkness into the edges of the campfire’s light. Something yanked Diana backward, and Sam fell forward on the ground, dragged past the flames and into the darkness.
“Mara!” he yelled as his feet were enveloped by the night.
Adrenaline pumped into her bloodstream, and she bolted across the clearing with Ping following, unable to keep up. He called after her, “Be careful. Your abilities may be compromised.”
Seconds before Mara got there, the campfire winked out, and the campsite plunged into darkness. Instinctively she dug into her jacket pockets, hoping that she might have carried a flashli
