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trance. The snakes were dropping from him as the smoke filled the tiny church. In the flickering light, he blinked at us, dazed.
    Alex lunged up to the altar, grabbed his arm. “You have to come. Now.”
    Ginger and I made our way to the back door. My vision was filled with yellow flames shining on black smoke. My eyes teared up, and I couldn’t breathe. I reached for the pawing white shape by the door, for Horace, and Ginger shoved the door open. Cool dark air sucked into the structure, shoving my skirts and the smoke behind me.
    I turned, and saw fire racing all along the roof of the church. Alex and Pastor Gene were stumbling toward the door. My hands were wound in Horace’s reins, and he dragged me out. My feet barely touched the steps as he lunged down, down into the dark.
    I gasped for air, wavering on my feet, coughing. Rain spat on my face. I heard Ginger coughing beside me. I braced myself to feel the bright pain of vampires tearing into my flesh, but no pain came. Through slitted eyes, I saw a bright ribbon of gold under gray clouds at the horizon.
    Dawn.
    A terrifying crash sounded from the church as the roof collapsed in on itself. The roof was too wet to burn, but the old timber beneath it went up like dry pine. This was like a fire that I’d seen as a child. A neighbor’s barn had burned to the ground in the winter, devoured by a conflagration that killed three men. The men in our community had rebuilt that barn, but I knew that wouldn’t happen with this church. Fear lanced through me when I realized that Alex wasn’t behind me.
    “Alex!” I screamed. I took two steps toward the door of the church, but Ginger grabbed me around the waist.
    “No!” she shouted. I struggled against her, screaming.
    Two dark shapes appeared in the ruined door frame, and I gasped in relief. Alex was supporting Pastor Gene, and they clambered down the burning steps to the cool of the grass. The last of the rain spangled the gloom and fire.
    I moved to embrace Alex, but my legs felt rubbery and didn’t obey. My hand burned. My heart pounded like the thunder and my breath came quickly.
    I stumbled. I fell to the ground and tugged up the edge of my sleeve to stare at my hand, dimly remembering the sting in the church. It had blossomed into a terrible pain, and blood trickled down my wrist into my elbow.
    My fingers spasmed, and I turned over and vomited into the wet dirt.
    I felt a shadow over me and cool hands on my wrist. Ginger ripped open my sleeve above the ripe, swollen flesh. Alex cradled my head in his lap. I could see Parson Gene above me.
    “She’s been snakebit,” Ginger said. “Did you see what kind of snake got you, sweetie?”
    I shook my head. That gesture caused my head to swim.
    “How bad is it?” Alex demanded.
    “Bad.” Pastor Gene’s face was white, white as a vampire’s. “It’s poisonous. Runners of poison are moving up her arm. I saw this once before . . . my uncle got bit by a copperhead when I was a boy.”
    “How did you stop the venom?”
    “We didn’t.”
    I blinked up into the drizzling dawn. I had not imagined that I would die this way. It was laughable, really. I expected to be chewed to pieces by vampires. Not poisoned by the bite of a snake.
    But a part of me had hoped that I’d survive this, that my faith would be strong enough to see myself and my friends through the Darkness. I wanted to believe that I was indeed favored by God and that I would eventually be united with my family in heaven. I wanted to believe that I was special. Loved.
    But that was impossible. Tears blurred my vision, and I hiccupped back a sob. What I had told Pastor Gene was true: I had not been baptized. But I had not told him what that meant. I was caught out. My baptized friends and family back home would go to heaven. Since I had not accepted God, I would be separated from them forever. In Darkness, alone.
    “We have to help her!” Alex gathered me in his arms and rushed toward the horse. The