Captain Tinkles sprinted to the main cabin, and seconds after he entered, the place blazed to life with lights. Like dawn on a battlefield, the light brought forth the horrors of the day. In staggered silence, we stared at the skies above us.

From the cloudy north, a writhing entity was approaching, a rolling black cloud of shifting shapes. At first it looked like a disorganized mass of limbs and shadow and wings and eyes. Long, rope-like things were waving back and forth, hanging from the bottom of the cloud.

Then, the cloud separated, and took on definition.

Gray and black creatures with wings. Bodies that were trapped somewhere between human and beast, wings outstretched behind them, black as onyx, flapping with determination and purpose. Eddies of mist were spreading behind each creature as they approached. Black eyes stared out of gray faces.

The Shadow Ka.

There was no longer any doubt concerning the words of Raspy, spoken in the Pointing Finger, that the Ka were evolving. In the weeks since our last confrontation, that evolution had seemed to quicken. It wouldn't be long before these hybrids of human and Ka were the full-fledged beasts of shadow I had encountered in the Blackness. Squeezing fists of hopeless fear made my stomach twist, and I wanted to sink to my knees.

Their skin was gray, with thick, black veins stretching and branching throughout, as if the shadow substance was taking over bit by bit. Their eyes were an empty black, and parts of their body seemed to shimmer now and then, looking empty for an instant before coming back again. My eyes were having a difficult time convincing my brain that they weren't fibbing, that these things were really there, coming at us with an inexplicable hate.

As they approached, the source of the rattling, metallic clatter became clear. Each Ka had a long chain wrapped around its neck, the two ends swaying back and forth, banging into each other, making an eerie clanking sound.

The first Ka landed on the ship, its feet coming down with a soft thump, the ends of its chain banging loudly then rattling as it slid to a stop. The Ka folded its wings back until they almost disappeared and then looked around with vengeance in its eyes. Others soon followed, the thumping sounds of their grotesque feet and the disturbing rattle of the chains accompanying them. The folding of their wings made a soft airy sound, like a paper fan being folded and put away.

I didn't notice the lack of their trademark scream until a Ka finally let one out with a piercing screech, which reminded me all too well. The other Ka seemed to answer as one, and soon the thunderous noise of their cries blistered the air.

Twenty or so had landed, with many more staying in the air, circling the yacht like vultures awaiting their prey to finally die before coming in for the feast. The thought made me quiver as I realized that just might be the case.

The spectacle before us must have been as hypnotic as it was terrifying, because not one of us had moved a muscle since coming out into the open, except for the captain, who had never returned from the main cabin. I looked around me.

My heart leapt into my throat.

Every one of my companions, everyone, had their eyes closed, swaying back and forth like pine trees in the wind. Rayna and my dad collapsed to the deck, falling limp and rolling over like dropped rag dolls. Then my mom fell. Then Rusty. The terror and confusion of seeing them drop made a bile soup in my gut. Tanaka fell. Miyoko fell. They all lay there like it was afternoon nap time, although their positions didn't look very comfortable.

Finally, Joseph fell.

I looked back at the Shadow Ka, one of whom was walking toward me, a wicked grin splitting his gray, vein-filled face. Then the strangest thing happened.

I felt an overwhelming urge to go to sleep.

A black haze appeared before my eyes, spots of all colors dancing in the shadows. Every part of me wanted nothing but the quiet escape of slumber, to lie down right then and there and fall fast asleep. My knees became weak, and I felt the fear drain out of me.

The Shadow Ka stopped three feet in front of me. I could barely make him out, my vision giving in to the desire to rest. The Ka screamed. It had a strange pitch—different from any other time I'd heard it.

I don't recall if I had ever been quite so close to one when it screamed. The violent sound exploded through my head, ripping the sleepy feeling out of me in an instant, like being doused with ice water to keep you awake. I was left with no trace of the strange sensation—it was completely gone. I was wide awake, back in the clutches of fear.

I looked down. Everyone was awake, pushing themselves up into a standing position, their faces creased with confusion.

The Shadow Ka spoke. Its voice was harsh and low, with a slight sneer to it.

“Not yet. No, not yet. The time for that will come soon enough.”

His words made no sense, but the evil in them was palpable.

“You are Jimmy Fincher?” he asked me, his tone revealing that it was a rhetorical question. “I have a proposal. We are here to take you and your comrades back with us. Will you come, or will you make this difficult?”

So much for introductions.

Instead of answering, I blew him off the ship with a swift burst of Ice, the second Gift I had received from the Givers. It no longer took effort, only thought. Exploding from my hand with a swoosh of frosty air, the solid block of ice formed and crashed into him, hurtling him hundreds of feet out into the ocean. We heard no splash.

An instant later, the remaining Ka took off into the air, their great wings creating a miniature hurricane as they all beat in urgent unison. In seconds, they were gone into the mist, their screams dulled by the wet air.

As they left, I thought about what the leader had said. They had come to negotiate? It made no sense, but my use of the Ice had been the definitive answer they'd not wanted. So they left in a rush of dark wind.

But we knew they would be back.