meone dies, the
re wr
, and I still have to get up, brush my
te toward me. Bur
hould
the eyes. "I'm
knows he's lost. Not j
rning with me. Trees shift in the wind, their branches
ass. People walk. Life moves forward, li
death is the only thing t
somethin
nig
. The thing in the w
ria. Half vampire. Y
ld anyone. N
mpires are
gh
spers start before
ks different." "Did yo
cream. Instead, I shove my boo
ey
es soft like always. His presence i
ike campfir
" he asks,
o.
a little
o pushing, no questions. That'
boxes, scraped knees, secret hideouts. He's
that feels like
d pe
throat. "Class, me
r creak
alks
hing c
, like holding your
as night, eyes dark violet
. Doesn't smile.
it's like falling. My stoma
l says. "He's new in town. Y
cou
He moves with purpose, slow and silent. And wh
ot really. But I feel
starts to pulse against my
without
, I try to
e's t
Too c
re Ar
t a que
wly. "How do you
eard
h. Like water over stone
wear that neckl
rs curl around it
rotecting y
re you?" I ask, befo
rp hides in them, like teeth be
l find
swirling around me. Jace sits besi
k pale,"
fin
s. He's in full sun, but it does
esn't
n. I feel it
voice lower now. "S
nk. "
bad news.
e and asked "Since when
he tension in his jaw says h
w something
uickly. Almost
e after is lou
e still, eyes open, watching sh
won't s
e woods. The blood
ow...
o the necklace. I felt a
p it
in. The light in the room dims, like so
ade a creak
wly to shut it,
the
ic
e backyard, un
up. Our e
ly. Calm, like this is normal.
u get here?
ow the
woods that nigh
nod
"What do you
just dark...alive. Like they
eps c
ryth