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"I'll walk to the nearest house, street, tohatever," she snapped, not mollified in the least

We reached the trees, the fallen snow silvery in thearound for at least twenty miles," I pointed out in a calm tone "Believe me, I know Mencheres picked this place for a reason You can't walk it, you'd be overcome by hypothermia inside of five We're out in thearound"

And then I stopped, frozen to the spot and not frorip on her prevented her fro at my expression

"What?" she whispered

"Shhh"

It was barely audible to her, but sounded way too loud forover the past fifty yards hadn't been quiet Neither were the heavy footfalls in the distance, disturbing the night with how noisy they were

I narrowed y toward those sounds No heartbeat, no breathing, but also no feeling of encroaching power They wereslowly A whole hell of a lot of theave off an aura of power, but there was nothing What the fk were they?

Without waiting to find out, I snatched her up and ran for the house Zero and Tick Tock were already at the door, sensing trouble from my rapid pace

"Get everybody downstairs now," I barked, shoving "

"What?" Denise began, rising from her chair

Randy was quicker on the draw and went to her, pulling her up Zero gestured to the stairs, ever respectful but urgent

"Please, this way"

When lare "Awake or unconscious, you're going with them"

Shebut went after them, her shoulders stiff

"Tick Tock," I breathed, still straining to listen to those figures "Get Bones and the others"

Two minutes later Bones canored the stains on him and pointed to the

"Do you hear the, but there are a lot of theht this way"

Bones narrowed his gaze, staring into the darkness with green pinpoints in his eyes After a few seconds he let out a grunt

"Can't feel anything, either, Kitten, but they're sto around like a herd of elephants Whatever they are, they aren't human Charles?"

"I have no idea, Crispin That curls my stones in my sack"

Rodney gave Spade a griht there with you"

"All right" Bones cracked his knuckles, his eyes all green "Let's get ready to greet theunsquickly A few of the out soon what's come to call"

"Why don't we just leave?" I asked on the way to the armory

"Because there's not enough choppers to get everyone off, and if we take cars, it could be an aainst Noe'll have the chopper ready just in case If need be, you can fly your mum, Denise, and Randy to safety"

"I won't leave you," I said "No matter what"

Bones an to strap on about forty pounds of silver "Now Kitten, they're human and therefore easiest to kill The rest of us are capable of-"

"Not achance" In the same reasonable tone he used "Juan kno to fly and I'er than he is, so he'd be the best choice if their evacuation beca a fast one, like knockingon assignments that'll make your hair even whiter than it is now"

Bones gave me a quick, fierce kiss

"Bloody wo tricks of your own, have you? Right then, suit up and change clothes Your sweater's too bulky, it'll restrain your movements"

I just pulled it off, left in o upstairs and find a an to strap on silver knives, lashing the practice

"Just not going to listen to a word I say, are you?" Bones asked as he handed me a sword "Keep one of these, we don't knoe're trying to kill and silverto freeze like that, Kitten"

"Isn't that the least of our concerns?" With a laugh that was e of motion, and that's what's most important"

"Right you are" Bones drew off his oeater and threw it to the ground next to houls followed suit Bare chests gleaht of the chandelier as everyone strapped on weapons Even as we did so, those footsteps outside came closer

Mencheres came downstairs I hadn't seen hi on, because he hadhim than skin

"To the lae'll start with an exterior perimeter and fall back inside if necessary," Bones said "Zero, you gather the hu cells below, since they're the most reinforced Feel free to use physical means to make any reluctant ones obey, especially her mother"

I would have replied with so rude, but this wasn't the ti up fornals were used once ere outside, the va with a speed any military leader would love to command Of course, they predated most military leaders Practice did make perfect

The frigid wind made me shiver Yes, it was extremely cold, but it wouldn't killI didn't have to worry about I was half vampire, after all, so my blood wouldn't kno to freeze It didn't stopI could be as ihouls ht not like the cold, but I was the only one whose teeth were chattering