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"I’ll go I’ll get out of here But I’ll coain soon"

"Count on it," Dakota said, as if he knewyet

Her body closed around her again, and Skye transformed from the liberated spirit she’d been back into a creature of blood and bone The cold hit her, and she gasped, almost unable to catch her breath

Clus Dakota had vanished; nothing of his presence reer than it should have been to realize that he had left no footprints, no impression in the snow She was alone in the underbrush, her wet underclothes freezing around her shaking body; the tips of her hair were already beco icicles An incredible sleepiness hit her, as if all she needed tonap

That was hypothere to rest, braced her hands against the trunk of the nearest tree, and shoved herself upright until she could stand

Where am I? Okay, not too far from the area with all the shops--but she understood now that it was farther than she’d be able to walk, suffering as she was from shock and exposure She’d just have to make it to the nearest road It ell after dark now, and in this weather few people would be out, but she only needed one car to stop and help her, or even just to call the police Though her legs shook and she felt weak, Skye begantoward the road One step One ot closer to her goal, Skye saw a pair of headlights drawing near Could she et their attention? Her red, nuet to the road; the car pulled over anyway, and she heard the sla of doors

Skye opened her ht, What if it’s the varave? They’d had a van before, but they ht have a car at their disposal, too; she didn’t know Fear returned to her--not of dying, but of living as a captive That was the only thing worth fearing

Then she heard a voice call out, "Skye?"

"Balthazar!"

He e behind him as he ran toward her, his handsome face bruised and cut Never had he looked so beautiful to her Skye ed a few steps on her shaky feet before he closed the distance and pulled her fiercely into his arht we’d lost you," Balthazar ainst her cheek "Are you all right?"

"Just--just cold" Her teeth chattered so lad you found ures ca sleet until one of the? Britnee?"

Sure enough, her ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend were co toward them; Britnee even held Skye’s coat in her hands As Skye yanked it on gratefully, Craig said, "We dropped by to check on you, and Mr More was there and he told us so like that--I didn’t knohat to think until that weird creed up at your old house Anyway, now I realize he was telling the truth I’lad you’re okay"