f ghosts long buried. Evelina tried to sleep. She couldn't. Not with her thou

oors shut. He stood still, arms crossed, like a gargoyle

much comfort t

leep?" she a

glance her way

she asked, braver this t

wly. Like he wasn't sure wheth

st. "Much like you. She believed

wed. "What hap

o ice. "She believed a

le

," Evelina

t the way his jaw clenc

tighter. It smelled like rain and forest and smoke. It

blood contract pulsed faintly under her skin, warm

his?" she asked. "The mar

ze flicked

belong to Thorne'

nked. "You

d him. Learned his patterns. Until he

happ

ve me killed. I tore out his second-in-comma

at him. "So you

. "Is that what

aid. "The court says Lucien

ood thing they

petals across the floor. Evelina stood and walked toward one of the stain

meone can break the

head toward her vo

s not

the altar. "Unless you want to go back and wea

ather signed that contract when I was a child. He though

ion didn't softe

e cracked. "It

moment. Then: "Tha

e need to leave before dawn. There's someone who

ho

ves in the old catacombs, below the Hollow. They say he was once the b

wned. "You

ust that he hates Thorn

ugh," she

ple from the small

Hollow didn't wake like normal cities. It lingered in the twilight betw

's coat wrapped around her like armor. The chapel smelled of d

through the broken stained glass. It painted him in bleeding colors-red, gold, violet. His fac

leep?" she a

urn to her. "I

ou use

ile touched his lips.

e a right to ask who's ri

g with something unreadable. "You're

s of her boots. Her body ached from the run, but it was the pressure in he

run," she said,

lted slightly. "

Just wondering how long I

sed the room with silent steps. He

said. "You don't have to b

replied. "I don't have

red. "But you have

t's

ching her cheek. "Will. Fire. The kind that

etween them

t held her there-maybe both. The scent of him was strange, like smoke

kiss me or kill

low, dangerous. "I h

sharp knock echoed through

. His body tensed, every lin

re," he

ai

eternatural speed. Evelina crept behind a fallen co

through. Female.

ll skulking in gr

ted than afraid. "You have two secon

r opene

loak made of shadows, eyes glowing l

felt the magic ripple. A blood contract b

at Evelina. "She'

ders after her. And he will. T

slowly. "You k

ying her with eerie calm

to mean somethin

s your bloodline carries the old

linked. "