All this time, the spirit that the cultists had summoned had simply hung above the pyramid with arms crossed, watching events unfold with an aloof expression. But as soon as the leader of the cultists lay still, it collapsed into itself, reverting back to its whirlpool shape. It condensed, drawing into a perfect sphere—and then it exploded with a flash of magical energy that knocked me sprawling. Tiny droplets of blood spattered my body with the force of a stinging rain. I heard the spirit scream a single word: Free! and then my brain seemed to go into overload and shut down.