The fire. It was on all sides of her now.

She bent down and curled her hands over her head to protect her face from the flames. That was when she saw it.

The bone fragments on the ground in front of her. They were moving to form shapes. No, not shapes, lines. Like the lines that had faded into the steam on her bathroom mirror.

The spirits were writing to her again. In Spanish.

BIENVENIDA, MARÍA.

Welcome, Maria.

Maria pushed back the panic in her chest and waited until her breathing steadied. She stood as tall as she could and straightened her shoulders.

“I order you to tell me what you know,” Maria said.

The pebbles spilled out of their neat rows, and the flame on the wall in front of her dimmed. For a long moment there was no sound in the tunnel. Even the fire behind her burned in silence.

Then came the sharp, horrible sound of laughter.

Maria took a long breath and stood her ground. She knew what she had to say. Altagracia had taught her years ago. It had all seemed like a game then, but she must’ve known Maria would need to know someday.

“Tell me what my future holds,” Maria said. “Or an eternal curse will fall on you!”

The laughter came again. With it, the pebbles began sliding back into neat lines. It took longer than before for the letters to form.

AUNQUE TENGAS EL PODER, MARÍA, NO SABES USARLO. NO ERES COMO NOSOTRAS.

Although you may have power, Maria, you don’t know how to use it. You are not like us.

Power. Altagracia had told Maria the spirits only had as much power as you gave them.

“That’s of no use to me,” Maria said. “I command you to tell me my future. Do I have anything to fear?”

MATEO PÍFANO.

She’d known Mateo was a threat. Still, seeing it spelled out right in front of her sent a chill down Maria’s spine.

“Thank you,” she said, trying not to let her new apprehension show. “Next, I order you to—”

The ball of flame flared high before she could finish. The fire covered half the wall now.

The spirits in this tunnel were strong. Too strong.

Maria had made them that way. She’d invited them in with that damn Ouija board, but she’d never bound them back.

She didn’t have much time.

“What do I need to do?” Maria cursed the begging note that crept into her voice.

The pebbles moved quickly this time.

LA SANGRE QUIERE SANGRE.

Blood will have blood.

Maria swallowed. She’d thought it might come to this.

She had to kill Mateo.

The spirits were right. It was the only way. Mateo was the last thing standing between Maria and what the spirits had promised her.

She’d killed already. What difference would one more death make?