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forward with everything he had until he was lost in the euphoria of raw magic and pure will, but today he remained a steady force, silently victorious over the girl's own lack of restraint and the demon's failure to regain its full hold.
    The girl snarled, growing more desperate. “You know my name. You’ve been shouting it to the dark for two decades.”
    Ander shook his head. “That is not your name. It belongs to the demon, but not to you.”
    “Don’t start this, Dreamwalker.”
    “The sooner you accept that the sooner I will set you free.”
    She clenched her fists. Ander saw the glow of the cage-runes flicker and fade. He placed a hand over the markings, lending his own strength into them. The thought of actually releasing her never crossed his mind; she was far too dangerous. The idea of it, however, seemed only to strengthen the presence of the girl and further suppress the demon within.
    “You wanted to talk about knowing me, so let me return the favor. You and I both know these bonds have no real ability to hold you back. I’ve exhausted my energies for days trying to maintain them and I know you know that. What is holding you here, then? It’s you, girl. You’re not the demon they brought in to me.”
    “Leave me alone.”
    Deciding to be bold, Ander cupped her face in his hands, tracing the tattoos with his thumbs. “These have been your cage, girl, but you’re the cage now.”
    The glowing runes began to pulse. A ringing sound emanated in the little room, growing louder by the second, drowning out all other sensations. Ander clenched his jaw, forcing all his power against hers, knowing he would collapse if he lost even a second of concentration. Sweat streaked down his face, stinging his eyes, but he never flinched. The girl cringed and tried to pull away from his hold.
    “Look at me.” He shook her once. Muscles, sinew, skin—his entire body screamed at him as he struggled to match his power to hers. The air in the room had become hot and thick. “Look at me!”
    The ringing escalated until he heard a snap, like the shattering of glass. The runes on the floor and walls were in pieces, reduced to meaningless black lines burned into the wood and stone. The air was cold again and the girl was gone. Ander gasped as though he had been holding his breath, falling back on the palms of his hands as exhaustion overcame him. He looked around, his ears still ringing and his head swimming, drunk with power. She could not have gone far.
     
    The wind whipped rain-drenched hair across her face but she did not care.  She lifted her head and looked up to the sky, her eyes hot from the tears that mixed with water and streaked down her face. Then she screamed. It was an animal sound – one of deep inner pain and rage and loneliness that very few experience. Instinct was all she knew and she gave in willingly. Thunder rolled across the sky. Far in the distance a pack of wolves answered her call with soft howls. The girl sank to her knees on the rain-soaked ground. She stayed there until the sun began to rise.
    Ander approached with caution at first. A part of him still wanted to see Ambrosine, the monster he had hunted and could destroy so easily now if he allowed it. This girl had the same powers and the same spirit inside of her. The only difference was who held control. He fought against the urge and knelt beside the girl, staring at the sunrise with her. For a long time they both kept the silence.
    “Are you going to kill me?” she whispered at last. There was a tremble to her voice.
    “If I meant you any harm I would have caused it by now. No, I’m not going to kill you.”
    The girl ducked her head, hiding the relief in her eyes. Ander tried not to look at her, both out of courtesy and his own need to convince himself of the difference between this woman and the thing that he had been hunting for so long.
    “Does it hurt?”
    She nodded. “Everything is sharp. My footfalls are heavy. Even breathing