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Eamon was not a nor, visible through the open sliding door of her apartlass of wine Red wine

It wasShe’d do, for a while He liked fair skin Fair skin showed bruises better

It took ht feel about what he was thinking, Eamon didn’t plan to carry out any of his fantasies They were just entertain job

"You’re sure she’s the one," he said, and I realized there was soer seat of the car next to hied, with a nice face and quick, friendly sas"

The woed "That’s what they say Doesn’t look too likely to me; just look at her Not exactly Quinn’s level, is she?"

"Looks can be deceptive," Ealasses "You’re sure Quinn’s dead"

"As sure as I can be," the woman said "Cops found his SUV blown all to hell out in the n of Quinn’s body, but they found a lot of blood Too ed his corpse, or else the flood got it There was a storully-washer Could have carried his body for miles if he fell into the arroyo Anyway, he’s dead for sure if he didn’t contact ood?" Eaain Not-lossy, tanned and toned Conteazed out over the horizon She had an ocean view, apparently Nice

"A package fro too unusual this tih the East Coast channels, unless you had a better idea"

"No, Cynthia, that’s fine You do as you think best" Ealasses down "She’s one of theh You’re certain"

"She’s one of them," the unknown Cynthia said "I’d stakeyour life on it, love"

Joanne Baldas, Eao in the cave How very interesting that it would come to this

Blood would tell

Blur

Ea it in theway I couldn’t possibly have hated anyone more after I sahat he was up to, but the betrayals just kept on co me Sarah for what he supposed was a Djinn bottle-which it was, just a booby-trapped one that let loose an insane Djinn who couldn’t be controlled Ea hurricane to cut me and Sarah loose from a tree, where the wind and debris would have killed us in aaithback tothat he’d lost his leverage Not giving up, though He was nothing if not persistent

I me Terrified for et what he wanted

And David That memory was crystal clear in Eamon’s mind David had come out of nowhere, nowhere, picked up a fallen knife, and-The second you disappointabout harm to my family, that ends I watch you bleed your life away in less than a dozen heartbeats

We’d left him, the three of us-mother, father, child We’d been a family once And David had loved us both with such intensity that it burned through to even a self-absorbed predator like Eamon

Eamon respected him And he liked me-in the same way he’d once liked Thomas Orenthal Quinn

That turned my stomach

What orse, far worse, was that even as sick and horrifying as Eaht he hen I looked at hi rush of pohen his body dissolved into y, he was beautiful Unique and beautiful and ie and his brilliance and his fierce, unflinching intelligence

I couldn’t help but go back formy empty spaces His ent, like dry white wine Ea in their intensity Horrors and wonders Things that even in that state I tried not to see

Venna yanked me out with her hand on the back of e The world lurched around me, tilted, and Eamon slid bonelessly off of the wall to collapse in a heap Sarah cried out and knelt beside him

"Oh," Venna whispered She didn’t spare any attention for Eah me "I didn’t know you could do that You shouldn’t have, you know"

When Venna lettears I needed a shower, a wire scrub brush, and bleach to feel clean again Oh, God

I foundred and blue lights Shaking

"Jo?" It was Sarah, looking so much older and harder than in the ht? And already she was destroying herself "Ea, would you please-"

I reached out to her and grabbed hold and hugged her Hard I dragged her down to a kneeling position "I had a daughter," I said My voice didn’t sound at all right "I had a daughter and she’s gone, Sarah, she’s gone" More than anything else in Ea Imara had hurtsound, and I couldn’t stop shaking Sarah held on somehow My sister Selfish, shalloillfully deludedbut deep inside, still my sister

"Oh, Jo," she said, and kissedhappened to I" I didn’t even know the details I hoped I wouldn’t "She’s gone"

Sarah hugged ain, harder "I’m so sorry She wasn’twell, she wasn’t human, but she eet Like the best parts of you Sheshe tried to keep me safe, like you told her, but I wasn’tI didn’t want to be safe I sent her away" I felt her hitch a damp, unsteady breath "Oh, God Was it because I did that? Did she get hurt because of that?"

"Idon’t know," I said slowly God That couldn’t be true, could it? That somehow my own sister had been a part ofNo I couldn’t think that way

"Sarah," I said, and pulled back to stare into her eyes "You need to listen to me Just this once Promise?"

She nodded I took in a deep breath

"Eamon will hurt you," I said "He’s toxic Maybe he doesn’t mean to hurt you, I don’t know, but he won’t be able to help it It’s what he does He can’t do anything else You need to walk away from him, and stay away Get clean Find out who you are without him or me or anyone else"