key on the building manag

ork. He nodded once, slid the key into a

of habit and

walked toward the elevator, each step lighter than the last. She waited for a twinge o

ing

feeling was alm

ts she would never see again. When she reached the taxi stand, she realized with a start that no

ght an unexpecte

flight with the calm efficiency of someone acting on instructions written long ago. By the time

the vast, unbroken darkness

slipped into on planes. It was deep and immed

no longe

paws as she ran, muscles burning with exquisite precision. The forest rushed past

of color and clutter, r

ed until it bo

inging to needles, the faint tremor of life beneath the snow. A vole scurried in its

n't bite. It

nd clean, frozen earth dense and mineral, and benea

oo

e wind, un

wasn't the right word. This was purpose. This was

ctive grace. The forest parted for her. The silence was

t grew s

on. Muscles coiled. Jaw tightened. The taste of blood

t into a

d ahead-warm,

lu

shuddered

sts. Her heart slammed against her ribs, wild and disoriented. The

he couldn't tel

e scent

i

n, impossi

e pulsed through her jaw, concentrated around her canines. It felt

ow

teeth, breath shallow. They felt

flight attendant aske

hair falling into her face

de her in the aisle

become aware of the moon on the rooftop-instinct

dark hair threaded with gray. His eyes wer

er

ared, subtle bu

ze flicking briefly to her throat, then away. Witho

etly in Romanian. She caught none of the

s belongings, avoiding her eyes as

at very

o let her go. Her heart rate eased, but the echo of the dream

ed her eyes and counted her breaths until t

ent into Bucharest, dawn had begun t

t hit her

oily. Sweat, fear, impatience, recycled air-every human emoti

ips together, fight

ayed, overstimulated, as if her nerves were exposed. Then, near

r slipped thro

o

ea

tain

on, carrying with it the scent of pine and distant sno

stant, sh

ned-a long, low note that rose and fell,

ho

wind, moving through

rs swun

und va

r tightened, certain n