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More steps thundered on the front stoop Skye bolted toward the back door, just in case this didn’t work, though if it didn’t, she would be buying herself a few more seconds of freedom at most She’d take it

"Do you really think you can escape?" Redgrave said His voice echoed, too; the vampires were inside Her hands shook as she placed theirl Don’t you understand?" He was half growling now, his wordsto an to flicker

Not the electric lights: Those reo when her family ht, a sharp blue-green that sliced through the darkness in flickering waves not unlike sunlight against the botto pool The air chilled around her in an instant, as if she’d opened a refrigerator door Skye’s rapid, panicked breath made small clouds in the coldness around her

She knehat this was This hat happened when a ghost becary

And Skye had always known that her childhood hoid sheets of it, appearing out of nowhere, and behind her she could hear the vain to screech in astonishhosts and feared the theht to ambush her in her own hoainst ghosts now And her ghost--the ghost she’d known as a child, the one she had never feared, alelcoirl it had once cherished

The vampires scrambled back the way they’d come, not quite out the door but close She could stay in here, remain safe … but no She didn’t have her phone or any other way of contacting Balthazar, which meant the vampires would have plenty of time to think about how to flush her out They could set the place on fire, for instance; if she’d thought of that within five seconds, the vampires would think of it soon She had to use this chance, this rave as possible

"Thank you," Skye whispered as she yanked the back door open and ran into the night

The cold air hit her harder than it had before, when she’d been entranced by Redgrave He hadn’t done her the srab her coat, and so she wore only her skirt, boots, and a violet sweater that did little to ward off the intense chill Snow had begun falling again, tiny, sharp flakes that blew sideith the fierce wind

Hang on, she told herself You’re not far now

Soon the va after that, they would pursue her But Skye thought she’d bought herself a few minutes, and that was all she needed

It seehost re behind Skye could picture her irl by the fireside, ore a long nightgown and hugged her knees to her chest

But, no It wasn’t just a picture The ghost truly ith her--coh Skye’s connection with death