na's

o feed their eyes, I wouldn'

before I did. But for real, I really wanted to know what they were fussing about. Because the noise levels alone to

ly a sight to b

cked-out Bentley Bentayga, a Mercedes-Maybach, a Range Rover Sport, and what I was almost certain was a Lamborghini Urus bringing up the rear ... all moving in slow, delibe

erent sets of convoys, coming from two opposite directions, almost facing each other. Like two separate wo

't leave, even though I couldn't prove that as

ys, moving with that quiet, professional efficiency that told you they weren't here to be se

e two guys

m each

These two were the real deal of whatever was going on. Uniquely dressed, unhurried, the kind of presence that didn't announc

. Sara was right in the thick of it ... thriving, naturally, already positioning herself where she'd be imposs

l expression she had on and the way she was gushing non-stop. And I knew she would definitely find her way to make th

ng now would've looked strange. Not because I was curious. Definitely not because something abo

shorter than most of the people in front of me,

eir faces ... even though they were both in fan

ped straight th

ived before I could sto

ip on my shoulders. The way their eyes had shifted color right in front of me. The short, thick horns that had appeared

e from m

p completely empty. Because that was impossible. People didn't just walk out of your dreams into your school parking lot. That wasn't how anything worked. Drea

l.' I forced myse

from anywhere I could point to in my waking life, not from social media or school files or anythi

n't go away no matter

led his eye shade off first. He looked at the other one with an

ing,

off too, unhurried, like the greet

blood sucker

it. There was nothing warm in that exchange. Nothing even remotely close to a normal greeting between two people who knew

this wasn't a genuine

mpetition or unfinished business that had followed them both through those gates this morning. I couldn't wrap my head a

o. I could tell by t

oking at each other or coordinating it in any visibl

taneo

ng had point

f in every direction at once. 'Do they recognize me?' The question landed hard and sat there. 'B

ought before it c

them marking both sides of my neck flashed through my mind all over again, shar

and went straight inside the

I hadn't realized

y came from, whether Sara had made eye contact with the taller one, whether the cars were rented or

to all of that than

e relieved than the situation probably called for, which told me

firmly. 'Besides, it was just a dream from my own en

and tried to plant my fee

re dream. N

lf, anyway, as I turned and walke

lieved it was a compl