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He pushed hi into a mud puddle As Balthazar spat dank water frorave, Charity, and the rest were gone; no doubt they’d fled this place as fast as they could

As the fire-reddened sky overhead churned and faraway screaht, They’ve left me here in hell

Chapter Fourteen

THE NEXT DAY, REDGRAVE DIDN’T COME HE didn’t approach Skye at school, didn’t stalk her house, anything

Or the next day

Or the day after that

During study hall on that third day, Skye texted Balthazar, Did you actually scare Redgrave off? Or talk hi to be that easy

Balthazar had told her about his altercation with Redgrave, and that he’d basically given hi else he hadn’t told her about what Redgrave had said or done--she could sense Balthazar holding back about it Regardless of what thatto be enough to save her

She typed, So what’s he waiting for?

I don’t know He can be patient, when he wants so He kno to bide his time

That sent a shiver down her spine, and she sank back in her library chair This place see as Redgrave walked in here, he’d turn to dust or burst into flame, the way vampires in movies did when they walked into a sunbeam

And yet he could appear at any ?" Madison said quietly, though not quietly enough; people at nearby tables--and Balthazar--would’ve been able to hear her

"Shhhh! It’s just--a friend of mine from my old school" Skye couldn’t resist a s the absolute truth

Somebody at a nearby table muttered, "In other words, a friend she thinks actually counts"

Madison flushed so deeply with anger that her freckles seeirl, "The only person in this room who doesn’t count is you"

"Ahem" Balthazar rose from his desk and strolled toward thelasses and a blazer? But the glasses did so to his face--made his cheekbones look eventhat couldn’t be rendered hot by being draped over those shoulders "Study hall is for studying, young ladies Not for arguing Let’s keep it down, okay?"