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Suddenly, my body shifted from the wall and pushed up the steps "What the f--"

"Move," he said, and this guy’s hands wrapped aroundass He all but pushed ainst hi it was no use

"Shut up and co"

I continued to thrash despite the uselessness of it Noas on principle I wasn’t going to just , long time, I felt vulnerable, but I’d chewhiuided me across the walk and up merchant’s drive, then down the narrow, dank alley between Inksoave ainst the tabby wall (asp The strong scent of urine and metal filled my nostrils, and ainst hiht The streetlalow into the alley and onto the sprawled figure on the ground, unnaturally positioned as though all the bones were broken I stared, unable to look away,male, his chest and throat literally flayed open A dark substance splashed against the tabby wall behind hilassy eyes stared lifeless in the laainst hi dead," I said out loud, and looked into the face still hidden by shadows, at the one who’d forced ed, turned, and fought with fists against hi, and in the next instant ainst Inksomnia’s back-door entrance

He shook me Hard "It wasn’t lieto a low pitch, histo my ear "It’s not safe anyave me a shove "Go I’ll find your brother"

For the first tiripped me by the throat "Leave"Swear to God, you’d better leave hihtly, to the side, and I caught a subtle gliht nose, cut jaw, and his eyes--they freaking glowed The sight of theround out as though in pain He reached behind me, twisted the doorknob, threw open the door, and shovedup to rasped the handrail, and steadied one I slaainst my ribs as I backed away I quickly clirasp what had happened, what I’d just seen, and none of it uy? What did he ithclai a greeting as I ran past hiht to the cordless The police I needed to call the police A guy had been rabbed the cordless off the wall, and just as er landed on the illuminated "9" button, the phone was knocked frorasped my neck My mind didn’t have time to react My vision blurred, and in the next second, darkness swept over h theand acrosson the sofa, the brushed-wool throw pulled up torushed back to me, and I jumped up and ran to Seth’s bedroom, threw open the door A rush of relief crashed over me

Seth was sprawled across his bed, sound asleep, his ide-open I stared, shocked How had he gotten inside? I hurried to him, pressed the back of ainst aze raked over Seth’s body; his face seeainst his skin I pushed his bangs fros How could I have allowed et messed up in that hell? It was the only reason that could explain his weird behavior I’d been around users before; I’d been one before I knew the signs Closing his , I pulled the sheet over hiht rushed back to , down the steps and out the back door I didn’t stop until I reached the alley next to the Boho When I did, I nearly fell, I halted so harshly My eyes searched the e No body No blood My head sith confusion as I squatted next to the rough-textured tabby wall and ran

"Lose solanced over , owner of Boho, walked a stack of eht I did," I said, shrugging, "butwaved good-bye Bhing was Filipino, th, bobbed hair sith each step she took as she hauled the boxes Certainly she would have uy in her alley, had there been one I walked away more confused than ever

After I took Chaz for a walk, I ran over to Estelle’s "Did you hear from Preacher yet?" I asked Preacher was the action taker, and I needed hi voice, crushing herbs atop a long butcher-block table in the center of her kitchen "He’ll be in sooin’ on over dere, and you kno deirl? Dat brodder of yours any better?"

"I’ to worry her "He’s just not hih so his male role model, you knoould be able to talk to hiht, or about the supposed dead body in the alley Definitely not about the uy in shadoho seemed to be behind it all

"Oh, now, dem menfolk are funny creatures, you know Doesn’t uns Always goin’ through da change"

I s She always made ? I can run to the store if you like"

"No, baby," she said, and patted ood jus like dis You let ood-bye, and headed hooing on withStruck like a bolt of lightning

Nyx and I took turns checking on Seth, and this ti with a client, going over his tattoo-care instructions, so I told Nyx thanks and she disappeared into the back of the shop It wasn’t a solid minute later when I heard her shaky, freaked-out voice holler down the stairs "Ri-ley! Get up here now!" she screeched "Hurry!"

"Here," I said to the client, handing hiotta go--sorry!" When he chuckled and said, "No problem," I was already halfway up the steps to my apartment, my heart in ine, fro overdose to death--both completely out of character (way out) for Seth, but he hadn’t exactly been Seth Poe lately I beat myself up a hundred ti hi in the doorway of Seth’s room, with a look of disbelief and terror on her face, swear to God, I nearly stopped breathing I felt like a hole had been knocked through my chest, and I ran hard to the doorway and pushed past Nyx Once inside, I jolted to a stop "Whoa!" I shouted, and froze, s the moment realization hit me I couldn’t breathe, shout, or cry out Iin complete disbelief as my baby brother’s body hovered ten feet above his bed, face-up, body to ceiling, and totally, completely asleep

"Seth!" Nyx cried "Wake up! Oh, Riley--what the--"

"Go get Preacher," I said,the Gullah had co?" she said, her voice wailing, and she was literally ju close to it myself "That’s just not real! It’s not--"

"Daone and running down the steps before I realized Preacher ht not be home yet Estelle had just called earlier to say he was on his way froed a chair over, cliged His body, weightless, moved with very little pressure, so I eased down off the chair and pulled Seth with me As effed up and weird as it sounded and looked, I positioned his body parallel with his bed, then tugged him down onto the an to float back to the ceiling "Shit! Seth!" I grasped his ankle again as panic shot through me What the hell?! What was I supposed to do? This was not happening! I scanned the rooive me a clue as to what the freak to do with Seth Was he possessed? On drugs? People didn’t float Oh, Jesus, he had to be possessed I should have paid more attention in my Catholic studies as a kid I held on to him now, co I could think of: I sat on hi up; he actually looked as peaceful as he ever did when asleep, and I wanted him to damn well stay like that until Preacher arrived