Page 14 (1/2)

Steadfast Claudia Gray 15750K 2023-08-31

Laughter at a time of sorrow

Bloodshed at a time of joy

Salvation at the aze on Mrs Prasad as she lived each e through the dressier clothing Mo her dad’s face fall with every nice gown or glittery shoe Nadia pulled frouess I could perfor show," and then the two of thehter at the Halloween carnival, popcorn and cotton candy in everyone’s hands, all the little kids running around in their costu as about to unfold within the haunted house

Being trapped underwater in the sound, seaweed tangling around her ankles, binding her with the force of a ht it, desperate to breathe and sure she was about to die--until Mateo found her there in the cold and dark, pressed his mouth to hers, his breath to hers--

Mrs Prasad screamed

Everyone in the roo already But she hadn’t expected a reaction like this Suspicion,around a deht to full-blown panic

"Get away!" she cried, plowing over a few other people as she tried to back away fro on, he looked nearly as shocked as everyone else "Get away from me!"

Mr Prasad’s voice came over the microphone from the city-council podiu this personal"

But Mrs Prasad had co in pitch, and when Asa rose as if to go to her, she staggered back like she ht pass out

It’s too much, Nadia realized in horror This spell’s too powerful She’s seeing the demon within in a way that I can’t--a way even Mateo can’t That’s going to drive her crazy, if it hasn’t already I have to take it back!

Quickly she grabbed her quartz charm and called up the first useful spell she could think of: a spell of equation, one that witches soic, to convince people that the phenoular--that the thing that had seemed so different to the else around them This, too, was one Nadia had never cast before, but this see into rain

A fear suddenly realized to be false