Page 62 (2/2)

"I don’t think so" Riding together in the snow Sparring in her base each other throughout study hall Did she have to give it all up? Yes Skye knew she had to be ruthless for her own sake "You’re still here, and I appreciate that--you’ll never kno--anyway But we should move on"

"Move on," Balthazar repeated, as he finally steered the car into her driveway

"You’ll do--whatever you’d do otherwise I’ll hang out with Madison more Study at ho to the Valentine’s Dance with Keith Kraave her a look--oh, God, why did he look his absolute hottest when he was crazy jealous? The absurdity of any guy as a jealous of cardboard-cutout Keith would’ve been hilarious at any other ti alain," Skye said as she got out of the car "Good night" She walked inside and shut the door behind her without a backward glance

Moving on, she repeated to herself, et to think about the fact that you’ve o to the dance

Though I guess you can enjoy it a little bit

The Time Between: Interlude Three

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October 1918

FOR A VAMPIRE, ONLY ONE CALAMITY PROVIDED ue

That h the war had not yet ended, it was clearly in its last gasps; armistice was expected any day With the conclusion of the bloodiest conflict in history near, Philadelphia ought to have been cheerful and bustling with activity Instead, Balthazar found hi deserted streets

In the past feeeks, a deadly wave of the Spanish flu had swept through the city with the same virulence hich it had killed millions from the Arctic Circle to South Africa Victi and co of earaches or headaches Then ca hot The pulses of the sick quickened so that Balthazar could hear them, fast and tremulous as the hearts of rabbits before the kill, fro and swelling theh the body The sufferers turned blue-black with suffocation before their terrible deaths

Sometimes he could spare them that Their blood tasted foul to him; viruses could not poison vampires, but this one was so wretched that it spoiled even the pleasure of drinking fro a merciful death for a few sick people was the lone service he could provide for humanity, then he would provide it

In Philadelphia, the Spanish flu epide fordemand, had raised their fees; others told survivors they’d have to dig loved ones’ graves themselves Doctors and nurses were in desperately short supply

Which hy a suspiciously young-looking man could describe hiet aith it