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I gasped Both hands flailed around for support, soripped the end of the rough coffin

A perfectly preserved, very beautiful Creole woman lay inside

Alice Cromley

Her dress was in decayed shreds, but her skin and hair looked like she’d been put in the stone coffin only hours earlier

"This is impossible," I whispered

A chuckle rinning at me with one black eyebrow raised "After all you’ve seen? Vale one is impossible Just like this"

Sebastian’s chuckle sounded wrong in our current predica is possible"

"Even defeating a Greek goddess?"

Sebastian unzipped his bag "We should hurry before the sun rises" He pulled out garden shears

"Jesus" My stomach went from tense to sickened in a flash

"Guess thatthe honors"

Apparently he hadn’t expected anything else, because he was already turning toward the coffin He leaned inside and lifted Alice Cro a little toe

Shit Shit Shit

I turned away and flinched The snap of bone between the shears bounced off the ry dead, angry for defiling one of their own I al doith his back against the sarcophagus and pulling out thethe s it into the bowl He began grinding, glancing up to seevery still "You want to know or not?"

I sed, forcing down the panic and fear that , Run Run far, far away frohtmarish scene and never look back, never remember But instead I sat woodenly on the floor as Sebastian continued to grind the tiny piece of bone

Somewhere in the back ofto find a home inside my body But I didn’t think about it Just watched and let o blank

Seventeen

AFTER SEVERAL LONG MINUTES, SEBASTIAN TAPPED THE PESTLE against the ri a minuscule shower of bone powder back into the bowl "Hold out your hand"

My nostrils flared I didn’t ray eyes deep and unreadable A tick flexed his jaw Just one, but I saw it Then he reached out, grabbed my hand, and dumped the contents into my palm

"It freaked ain, if I needed to It’s just bone Dust No taste at all It’s like inhaling a pulverized rock"

"Pulverized rock," I repeated Pulverized rock I can handle that I’

I trained my mind on the small quarter-size aht it closer, heart pounding against h rainy andlike rock, as Sebastian said It gagged ainst an already arid throat I couldn’t s It clu to vonal to ed through

The to over like a carnival fun house

The side of my face hit the floor No, not the floor Sebastian’s hand, which softened ently slid out frolow of the candle, which sat on the floor, Sebastian’s knee in one corner and the shadowed bone boxes in the darkness beyond

I was frozen, co slowly on the fun ride My eyelids grew heavier and lower, finally able to close in a burst of white

Bright flashes

Bits of color Glaring colors Shi whites and vibrant blues