Flame in the Dark (Soulwood, #3)

by Faith Hunter

The arctic front had no regard for global warming. It had hit, decided it liked the Tennessee Valley, and decided to stay.

one’s living in the Pacific Northwest, working in a marijuana bar and too stoned to want to travel.

Weather in the South—you don’t like it today, wait a couple days and the entire season will change.

Like on Soulwood, the land here was dormant, sleeping, but it seemed weak and . . . maybe stupid wasn’t a nice word but by comparison to Soulwood it was both.

Half of this forest was dying and there was nothing I could do short of claiming the land and . . . well, I wasn’t going to kill a human to save the conifers.

“Programming can be hardwired into a body,” I said, not looking up. “It’s something that has to be fought, day in and day out, forever. Like an addiction one hates, has defeated, yet still has to battle.”