Chapter 21
The screaming suddenly stopped, and the silence was like the coldest, purest, longest drink of water after a march across the desert in full burning sun. I drank it in, and all the pain I had been working so hard to tune out was just gone.
And I opened my eyes to find myself back in the world of silvery light. I searched for the patterns in the millions of interlocking silver strands and realized I was still in Mina's apartment, not the charm school. I could sense the outline of Mina still standing over me, dark and mundane.
But the crystal ball in her hand was something else. It glowed like a light, fiercely bright, and yet was the blackest darkness I had ever seen. It was emitting darkness in fierce beams like the hottest sun. I stumbled back away from that darkness and tri
