I peered into the circle. Ew. She was taking the bokor’s bone marrow.
Suddenly the phone beeped.
I’d never gotten to it and hadn’t realized it had stopped ringing while I’d been occupied getting Marcy out of the circle. I bent over and plucked it out of Marcy’s pocket. It vibrated in my hand.
I turned it over right as air brushed by my face. There were only three words scrolling across the screen.
SHE IS YOU!
“What?” I shouted into the air. What did that mean? “That doesn’t help. I need—” I glanced up right as Danny lunged for me, barking wildly. Wind twisted my hair, and with the force of a tornado, the loa struck, knocking me back into the circle.
She was inside me before I could take my next breath.
16
Coldness filled me, consuming me with its intensity. My limbs were not my own and my veins were filled with ice water. My wolf howled, furious.
The possession was immediate.
By the time I hit the ground, she was in control. She had more power than I’d ever thought possible. The bokor had amped her up by giving her everything, even if it had been unwilling. The combined magic tore through me, unwelcome and reckless, overpowering anything I had inside me.
Try, I told my wolf as my head spun, to grab on to her magic…
I am here now. The voice in my head was crystal clear, like we were having a real conversation. It’s only a matter of time before you succumb. I will infiltrate every piece of you until you are no longer here and only I am left. Once I do, I will become you.
Juanita had just told me the same thing.
SHE IS YOU.
What the hell did that mean? I’m not giving up without a fight, I told her.
Fighting me will not work. I’ve been preparing for this for centuries and I am too powerful for you. She snickered, enjoying herself.
I was immobile physically—Marinette had control of my limbs—and I could no longer sense anything around me. Her magic was an unruly mass, and as I lay there, it began to attach itself to my magic one strand at a time. NO! I shouted. You can’t take it away from me. To my wolf, I said, If she absorbs it, it will be hers to wield!
Exactly, she cackled.
My wolf struggled to keep our magic away from her, trying to yank it back, but it had become slippery and cold, like everything else in my body, and there was no place to take it. My stomach heaved. Suddenly I was on my side retching, expelling everything from my body.
That’s right, Marinette said. All of your body functions will be laid to waste one by one. I will have no need of them.
I shivered, my teeth clattering. The yellow masses in my thigh began to change. I could see the poison pooling in my mind. It had become fluid, like thick amber flowing through me. This was her magic—her signature. As it moved, it attached itself to everything. I could no longer see my own magic. Can you intercept it? I asked my wolf. She howled her anger and frustration.
You cannot. You are not stronger than your creator, my child. Marinette’s voice was harsh. My magic defines you, defines all wolves. Your magic comes to me naturally. It yearns for its master. It matters not that it is muddled with others’ signatures. That will be a bonus to me once I inhabit your body, but it is of no consequence.
I gulped for air. My lungs were shutting down. I couldn’t fight this. It was different from anything else I’d come in contact with in my life. I wasn’t going to be able to blow this up or knock her out. My brain was starting to get hazy. Marinette was succeeding and I was slowly losing control of all my faculties. My wolf yelped, urging me to do something—try anything. She was battling to keep Marinette back, but we had very little power left.
Then I felt it. My hand was vibrating.
I could barely detect it, but something was needling my senses, making me aware. I hadn’t let the cell phone drop from my hands. Juanita was trying to get my attention.
The Hag cannot help you now, Marinette said. She is too late and this is proof that the Fates can be changed. I will be living proof.
My mind was growing more and more muddled as Marinette’s anger whipped through me. The beeping continued, but I couldn’t find the strength to lift my lids.
My arm began to shake.
I was still on my side from when I had emptied my stomach, and with insurmountable effort I forced my eyes open. I couldn’t see anything at first. I concentrated on clearing my vision, but I realized there was a thick coating of film covering them. Everything looked milky.