MADRIOD ‘S POV

The basement was too quiet. Not peaceful-quiet, though. The kind of quiet that made your ears ring and your chest feel tight, like something horrible was waiting just out of sight.

I stood by the doorway, arms crossed, trying not to let my nerves show as Elsie stood in the middle of the room, chanting under her breath. The words sounded foreign, ancient even, and they made the air around her shimmer like heat waves.

“Are you sure about this?” I blurted out, my voice cutting through the thick silence.

Elsie didn’t stop. She didn’t even look at me. Her focus was locked on the glowing circle...