Vitiel

ity that caught the sunlight, fracturi

a depth of emotion I had never heard directed

into tears

s around him, sob

me with wide, expectant eyes. "Ele

houlder. His eyes were pleadi

u eternity

s tasted

world tur

nd, vibrating through

as a gas line. It didn't matter what the cau

e. The dry vines caught instantly, turning

y face, singei

ests screamed, a coll

ing right n

oxygen. A beam from the gazebo roof cracked an

e lu

arm of the wo

e

me two steps toward the exit

a screame

fro

e looked at his ha

yes-a flicker of horror. He

inct was

hove

est and thrown me backward, away from safety, back tow

red, diving bac

eel caught on a

sted with a

rawl, clawin

guests trampled my legs, my back,

ll from the ceiling. It st

sound was lost in

ric choked me. The smell

smoke, tears streaming d

ielding her face with his jacket, carrying her t

n't lo

t me t

sed m

t was blindingly white and t

oving.

nurse shouted. "We have t

able for immediate grafting!" a docto

gony, a spike of white-hot

gurney. Sofia was crying, holding her

e doctor. "She's an actress! Her skin is he

ssion frantic. "She has third-degree burns on her back. She n

looked

his

sitation. I

o saw the

id. His voice broke, but

his breath, then nodded. They wheel

me into a cu

cream. I d

corner of my eye. It tracked

r I would ever shed

darkness