Lilith kneels beside him as he slumps against the railings of the wolf enclosure. Behind the iron bars, the animals are suddenly awake, alert, pacing swiftly this way and that. Bram knows Lilith is talking, telling him something, but he is so very dizzy, in so much pain, it is hard to make out her words.

“It is the Dark Spirit. It is Willoughby. He caught us unawares, here, in daylight … I let down my guard. My darling, you must do what I tell you.”

“Argh!” Bram screams as a stab of pain pierces his body.

How can this be?

“I can see no one!” he gasps. “I hear no voice.”

“But I do. He is mocking me. He is … he is showing me what he is capable of. What he can do. What he will do if I refuse to give him what he wants.”

“Give him … nothing!” Bram insists through clenched teeth.

“Stay awake, my darling! He is trying to manipulate your mind. You must not fall unconscious. The stronger you fight him, the better able I will be to send him from you.”

Lilith leaps to her feet, oblivious to the anxious stares of passersby. A young man steps forward to offer his help, but she waves him away furiously, standing guard over Bram, trusting nobody. “Leave him be!” she cries. “He is not yours to inhabit. I command you, return to the Darkness where you belong and release this man from your grasp!”

The confused onlookers move back. They think Lilith is talking to them, and her words appear those of a madwoman. Bram knows different. He knows she is trying to control the Dark Spirit. He bends forward, clutching at his chest.

I will not be broken like some toy in this vicious game!

He forces himself upright, clinging to the railings. Behind him the black wolf also stands its ground, head low, hackles raised. He catches its eye as he hauls himself to his feet. Its teeth are bared and it emits a ferocious growl. It is the growl not of a hunter after its prey, but of an animal in terror.

Lilith has set up a chanting. The small collection of people nearby has thinned as men lead their women away from the lunatic and her ailing friend. Someone has summoned a keeper, but he stops short when he sees the wildness in Lilith’s eyes as she holds her arms wide, her voice growing ever stronger and louder. Bram is aware that he has no breath left in his body, and if he does not take in air very soon, he will pass out. Try as he might he cannot force his chest to expand, cannot overcome the force that restricts him.