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Almost, Tara, almostoh, Tara, Tara, I’ainst your flesh, your long lovely throat

She stepped back into the hall The thing was quickly, quickly, ether She turned to back down the hallway, return to the great room with the hearth, find the door and escape, but there was soed, clawed, taloned, andshe had thus far witnessed She knew that she could flee into that shadow, and it was the shadow, not the light, that had beckoned her

Called her, to trap her The huge winged shadow began to whisper Oh, yes, my dea r, you’ve been trapped That ancient mind

has fallen prey to self-confidence, and you have come You have come, when you should not have done so You have left that place where you should have been, a guardian, a sentinel And so now, you, too, will lose, don’t you see? I will have those you love, no, actually, I have them now, and in the end, you will come as well

She started to scream, as loud as she could, hysterically, somehoare that she had to be loud, louder than the fire and the wind, louder than all the cackling, and the whispers like druainst the darkness, force herself to know that it was a dream, only a dream, and that she could awaken She had to awaken, had to awaken

"Tara!"

She was jerked up, suddenly aware of pain, very real pain, in her upper arms Her eyes flew open

There was no house She was in her own rooht she was in her own house, but she was staring into Brent Malone’s golden hazel eyes, eyes that burned with an intensity like the flahtly around her flesh that she’d be bruised in the , was still screaainst hiain and strike hi

"Tara, stop!"

It wasn’t the coht her to a tre rationality

The sound faded

She had ceased to screahtmare, because all they talked about was vampires, and the Alliance

"Tara " He ainst her hair to soothe her

She stiffened, ain to throw herself against him "It was a drea fiercely And he was there She closed her eyes, and leaned against him, and felt the comfort and warain, drawing back "How are you here? How are you in my bedrooet in"

"That’s not important You have to tell rily "How did you get in?"

He let out an ih "I knocked on the door Katia let ed, but then, looking past hirandfather were standing in her doorway, ashen, looking in on her

"Oh " she breathed "I’m sorry I’m so sorry I’ve awakened you alland it was just a drea frail in his pajamas, his feet bare, pressed past the other two and came to her bedside

"Tell us about the drea, but it was still too vivid "I was at a house In the woods, I think I didn’t want to go in, but I felt that I had to There was a huge fire, there were gargoyles that came alive

And there was a hallway, and I knew that I had to go down the hallway Then there was a door, and there were body parts in the rooether, and the lips in a head wereto ether So I backed into the hall, but the shadoas there, and it started laughing and tellingthat" She broke off, staring frorandfather, and then to the door where Katia and Roland were standing

"Where’s Ann?" she breathed

Brent stared back at her

Then he ju for the hallway

Tara, as well, leaped to her feet She flew after Brent

He had already reached Ann’s door

Crashing into his back, Tara looked beyond him

Ann was not in her bed The balcony doors were open

The breeze was blowing in

As chill as that which had colored her dream with fear