Disoriented, Mara felt as if she had been pulled out of a vat of mud. She felt drained and dirty. Shaking her head, she saw Ping stagger toward her and put his head next to hers. They leaned into each other to stay standing and to maintain their balance.
“Ping? I’m so sorry. I don’t understand why I would do those things to you,” she said, tears pooling in her eyes.
He looked upward at the looming cloud. “Later. Right now, we’ve got to get out of here. You seemed to have been able to cast off the darkling wraith, but it still appears to be present.”
“Mara!” Abby yelled from the back of the roof.
Mara turned and panic melted across her features. To Ping, she said, “You’ve got to get her out of here. Go.” She pushed him toward her friend.
Ping staggered a few steps and turned back. “You
