Page 35 (1/2)

Kinkingoverat me as blood drips down his forehead and onto the floor "I’els?"

"Not just any Angel, but a Gri his face close to el, the one that holds the balance of the Reapers and the Angels of Death The one that carries death with her all the time The one that will easily crack and lose the balance with her mind It’s in your blood, you know--the insanity"

He lunges ats His face contorts in pain as he cruainst the fence The o I land on my butt, but scramble to my feet and spin around, ready to protect ive the fence a few more shakes, but a padlock on the other side secures it I’ht into a trap And I have no god damn clue aits for me at the end I take a deep breath and hurry down the hallway of ht

"Ember," Garrick’s voice suddenly touches my ear "Don’t breathe"

I take off down the hall without looking back,as I tear around the corner His footsteps barrel after h echoes down the hall

"Ember," he calls out "Come out, come out wherever you are"

As I tear around a sharp corner, I trip over so my balance, my body slalance at what made me fall

"Oh shit…" It’s a person, face down on the floor I crawl over to them and turn them on their back

Laden’s dead eyes stare atskin ice-cold, and the X on him is an older wound He’s been dead for a while I think back toin it, and the one I saw in the library Is this even real?

Garrick’s voice drifts down the hall "It’s hard to tell, isn’t it? What’s real and what’s not Tellyour mind?"

I leap to my feet, ju down my skin The side entrance door finally co hits round as a hay bale lands on top of ainst the tile and the sounds of

Garrick crouches down in front of me "Ever heard the ter" He pulls the hood of a cloak over his head "Because everyone fears death, Ember Even Death itself" He pulls out a knife and cuts an X across oes black

Chapter 19

I openpieces of stars and a pale crescent moon I attempt to roll onto my stomach, but a rope detains each of s are tied to each other Out of the corner of my eyes, a fire blazes and feathers and rose petals halo around s are still secured to my back, but are bent to conform to the pressure of my body

"Hello," I call out "Is anyone here?"

A woman with a sharp pointy nose and blonde hair appears in my line of vision "Hello, Ember It’s so nice of you to join us"

My eyes narrow at her "Detective Cra crazy yet?" The firelight glows in her blue eyes and shadows the area underneath her defined cheekbones, so she looks almost skeletal "Like you don’t knohat’s real?"

"So you’re part of the Anaain more control "Or are you a Grim Reaper?"

Her thin lips nearly vanish as she smiles and retrieves a small, silver-handled knife from the pocket of her jacket She puts the tip of it toit into my skin and a warm river of blood cascades down my forehead and eyes "The Anamotti and the Reapers are one and the sao by in the huestures around her and a group of people step out of the trees "All of us are Reapers here Even you" She smirks "Partly anyway"

All of the nize Garrick, who ht of a pink-haired girl bruises rins at me and her sapphire eyes are dazed, like she’s drunk "I’m so sorry, Em I didn’t mean to do it I just couldn’t seem to helpon the ropes until my wrists rupture open and blood pours out all over my hands, the rope, and the dirt

"Oh, relax for Christ’s sake" Detective Crammer draws the knife down my cheek and splits open my face "She’s under the spell of the Reaper because, unlike you, she’s human and can be possessed by him"

Raven steps forward fro her back "Stay back, you little trollop You are still to obey my orders"

Raven blinks and descends back toward the crowd "I’ to make eye contact with her "Don’t listen to her Run away! Now!"