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My hands flew up to e wood-floored room bare of furniture Centered in the roo to a hatch in the ceiling On the walls, covering every single available spot, were hundreds of aniorilla, coyote, even the leathery talons of birds And masks, lots of masks, like the ones that had been in my rooreat-grander explained quietly "If you are a Walker, I will mount your hand on this wall, too"

I felt sick to my stomach "Where are the rest of the animal skins?"

"You think we’d keep them? We burn them! Or throw them into the old o up" He swung his gun toward the spiral staircase I walked

"I want to warn you, I aer said as my bare foot started up the cold metal stairs "If you try to run or hurt er," I interrupted shakily "I will never hurt you"

He laughed, a pitiful, sarcastic sound "It’s a little too late for that!"

At the top of the stairs, I opened the hatch and stepped out into ware square balcony built on top of the roof, illulow Telescopes and binoculars were affixed to the railing at every corner, coe chairs sat beside low tables, and a tall pole extended up from the center of the balcony, a worn, scratched perch at the top

Bridger grabbed iant telescope and an even bigger floodlight I wondered for an instant if he was going to push un ai his eyes froround far below--just outside the fence surrounding his property--glowed as if daylight shone froht ground Dark shapes scattered away fro away froht to a different spot Fur-covered bodies darted fro haphazardly toward the dark ring around the periain a ly bodies rushed to the darkness

"I’ve never seen so er whispered His eyes locked on ht winked out and I was blind

"This is your choice, Maggie Mae," Bridger said quietly, as if all of his strength had been drained away "I’ to shift You can attack and kill ates of my driveway and run aith your kind and never coate where all the Walkers can see you and I will shoot you And I never ht reflected off of his nuun tohis eyes for a brief ned to an the walk downstairs My feet felt so heavy, I could hardly put one in front of the other to y to try to come up with an escape plan I was broken Ready to die

One choice reer and try to escape the Skinwalkers, or would I rather be killed by him? The ansas si hier It was all I could do to scrape aze from my feet and look up at him "Please kill me on your first try," I whispered, barely able to breathe, let alone speak His eyes grew round, then filled once again with ice

Without a second thought, I removed my yo-ih and put it in my pocket, pulled the oversized T-shirt from my head, and slipped out of my jeans I walked froer one last ti off his gun was easy to see in the darkness

Beneath a tree’s shadow, I reht as well die as my favorite animal

With the bravery inherent in cats, I slunk ser He was still on the porch, gun aiate Sloithlow, I padded down the tree-lined driveway, away from the house

I knew the very moment the hot summer wind carried ht erupted with the shrieking and howling and roaring of hundreds of excited creatures My steps faltered Even a cat’s bravery has lier ordered I turned and looked at hiun, still up and ready to shoot, gleaht I walked forward

It wasn’t long before I could see the gate, but when I actually saw the Skinwalkers, snarling, slobbering, intent on my destruction, I froze I did not dare take onetheir heads through the wrought iron, their teeth snapping, foa jaws But that wasn’t the worst part A the hooded cloak of an animal skin Only the hood was an ani face It took her a moment to see er anticipation Her tongue darted out and licked her lips She wanted me Whether dead or alive, I couldn’t say But she definitely wanted me