Page 243 of Isle of the Forgotten

They speak, but I don’t hear them.

They instruct me, but I can’t listen.

I’m frozen in fear.

Completelyhelpless,which makes anger begin to burn in my chest like the torch in front of me.

I take a final moment to look at Oak—only him. I memorize what I can and pray that my memory won’t betray me when I need it. I’ll hold onto this: his handsome face and his dark eyes that, even in terror, have such love. I’ll cling to his memory, because it may be the only thing that keeps me going.

“Find me,” I mouth to Oak, watching the color slowly drain from his face.

A final tear rolls down my cheek, and I force a smile, making sure the last thing Oak ever sees of me is just that.

“Don’t give up on me. Find. Me. Oak.”

I feel my body turning to mist in Malachi’s hand. The familiar sensation of shifting hits me, but this is darker, faster, and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s as if I’m moving between worlds, trapped somewhere in between.

I scream, letting the raw sounds tear my throat to shreds, and I don’t stop. Scream after scream, he pulls me, dragging me further away from where I am desperate to be. The darkness becomes too much to handle in my state, and my eyes begin to flutter closed.

“You are entering my domain, Maines Madden. I need your help,” Malachi whispers through the shift. “Whether you want to assist or not.”