“Somehow, she took control of the dream from me. She does it every time. I mean, I can do small things like this.” She paused to gesture to her shoes. “But I can’t send us back or bring Olive out.”

“Where is she?”

“Hiding somewhere.” Nina scanned around and pointed to a dark hole in the volcano’s side. “Probably there. That wasn’t part of the real volcano we saw. She must’ve created it.”

My mind was reeling as I approached the cave with her. What she was saying was impossible. Olive couldn’t have power in this dream unless Nina ceded it to her.

“How?” I asked. “How is she doing this? Do you think it has something to do with her being restored from being a Strigoi? From being infused with spirit?”

Nina shook her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t actually feel her using spirit. It’s almost like she’s controlling it by . . . her will.”

I tried to wrap my head around that as we came to a halt in front of the cave. “Now what?”

“Now,” said Nina, “she’s probably hiding from us in there. But if it’s like other places she’s brought me to in dreams, we probably can’t just walk in and—”

A roar from within the cave’s depths cut off her words. Instinctively, I took a few steps back. “What the hell is that?”

Nina looked more weary than frightened. “I don’t know. Something terrible. Something to scare us off.”

Her words were realized as a huge manlike figure made of black rocks came lumbering out of the cave, its eyes burning red. It was a full head taller than me and twice as broad. It came to a halt before us, beat its chest, and let out another roar.

“Have you seen this before?” I exclaimed.

“Not exactly,” said Nina. “Last time she sent a swarm of bats. Before that it was some kind of werewolf creature.”

“You made this dream,” I insisted, backing up further as the lava monster (for lack of a better term) approached. “Get rid of it.”

“I can’t. Not with my thoughts, at least. We have to do this the old-fashioned way.” I felt spirit magic surge within her again, and a cudgel appeared in her hands. Without further warning, she charged forward and swung the weapon at the monster. As she did, I felt more spirit flare inside her. In fact, it was the spirit magic that seemed to lash out at the monster, more than the cudgel. The creature roared in pain, and cracks appeared where the cudgel hit.

“You said you’d help me!” she yelled, clearly annoyed.