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But the other driver--

Jesus Christ, Balthazar thought, coled to open the door with it upside down I wanted to get to Skye, but I didn’t want to hurt soed to push his way out onto the days-old snohich had turned black fro the roadway The intersection wasn’t a busy one, at least; only the two cars were dah both of them appeared to be nearly totaled Each of the hulk on the side of the road His Ancient Civilizations text lay in the dead center of the intersection, open to an illustration of the pyramids The only structure nearby was a junky bar farther down the road that looked as if it had a shady clientele; though ns in theproclaimed different beer brands as the best Nobody had ventured out to see what the ruckus was, though; the wreck h not to be heard inside

All of this flooded into Balthazar’s htly disjointed He h to shake hiled to his feet, he saw so toward him--the other driver, it had to be, thank God she was okay--

Then he saho it was

"Constantia," Balthazar said He realized that he hadn’t had a stop sign at the intersection; he’d done nothing wrong to cause the wreck "You raet you to stop I had to do so just to catch up with you" She sly confident despite the bloody scratches across her cheek, or the splinters of dashboard glass scattered across her jeans and olive-green coat "In a hurry?"

"Where’s Redgrave?"

Constantia’s s "Where you’d most like to be, I think"

That ain He’d have to run the rest of the way But he ithin a"Get out of my way," he said

"I think it’s past time for me to be in your way," Constantia said

Balthazar reached inside his jacket--no, he’d lost the stake at the Valentine’s Dance So he’d have to improvise He snapped a short branch off a nearby tree, never dropping eye contact with Constantia "It’s past tihed at him "Think about it, would you? You’re so desperate to reach Skye in tirave has her What you need to knohat’s going to happen next I’ to tell you"

Did he believe her? To his horror, he did At ti you’ll help me?"