Page 55 (1/2)

"What? No Not planning on it You gonna try to drink hosted a worn, wearied s, "Co?"

• • •

I sat in the darkened living roo at a dead girl as still dying She was vastly different from the picture I had seen of her in her abandoned bedroom, in her mother’s house outside Asheville, North Carolina, and in the NOPD’s oo roo that she hadn’t been turned immediately after they were taken Skinnier, paler certainly Probably a bit taller Her hair was a browner shade of red than Molly’s

She didn’t race, the way they do when they want to charm or disarm, but all lizard-y, bird-y, snake-y, the way they do when they’re fearful or angry Or sick She was sitting on the sofa, her spindly legs drawn up onto the cushion, ar, providing the only light

"Where’s Molly?" Eli asked He was standing in the corner, weapon at ready, ocular perched on top of his head like a science fiction cyborg

"He took her today while I was sleeping, after Bliss got sick," Shiloh said, still staring at ht; , unnecessary, and I re?"

Beast padded slowly forward, into the front parts of , Beast low, just like Aunt Molly-Lolly said they would," Shiloh said

Molly-Lolly? I hadn’t heard that naether Someone took Molly I had work to do "You look sick," I said "Bliss is sick too?"

"Yes Soic Jack is a witch like ot Aunt Molly-Lolly blood-drunk, cast a spell, used his coics, he canto use it on Leo Pellissier, as soon as he gets him away fro into wrinkles, as if she was badly dehydrated She looked worse, if possible, than she had when she answered the door, but ht She still hadn’t turned any on

"Death ers, still ic, trerounds are dying Because of Molly," I said

"Yes If it isn’t used, it spills over She’s fighting his die and people get sick She can’t last long" Shiloh chuckled, and there was nothing ahter of the grave, full of despair "She’ll give up soon and let him use her She’ll have to And then I’ll be dead"

I pointed at thethe death spell" When she nodded I said, "If it can be fought, it can be defeated" I pulledEvan

"Stop," Shiloh said "Don’t He’ll know"

I looked at the cell and back to the girl And it allhim stuff about us Stuff we say on our cell phones"

Shiloh nodded, her neck like a thin stem, overbalanced by her head

"Did he use the name Reach, by any chance?"

"Yes," she whispered

I wanted to screaeance I would take care of Reach later Once I found him I pulled a burner phone from my pocket and dialed Evan When he answered, I said, "Jane here Don’t talk Just listen Jack Shoffru has Molly, but I have Shiloh Molly’s ic doesn’t go bad It takes--"