Page 13 (2/2)

I said he wasnt a threat!

And I say that you just dont want to admit your friends turned freak of nature on you Shanes dad reached out and aardly punched Shane on the shoulder It was supposed to be a gesture of affection, Claire supposed Shane just rode with the blow Anyway, done is done You knoere here Or do you need a reminder?

When Shane didnt answer, his father reached into his leather jacket and took out a handful of photographs He threw them at Shane They bounced off of Shanes chest, and he reflexively tried to catch them, but some drifted free and fell to the wood floor Some slid over toward Claire and Eve

Oh God, Eve whispered

They were pictures of Shanes fauessedShane as a cute little boy, arirl with a cloud of curly black hair A pretty wonize as Shanes dad No scar, back then Hair cut short He lookednor and happy

There were other pictures, too Eve was staring at one of the black and twisted and

Shane bent over and snatched it up, fu it back into the pile

His house burned He got out His sister wasnt so lucky

Oh God, that twisted thing was Alyssa That was Shanes sister Claires eyes filled up with tears, and she covered her mouth with both hands to hold in a screarossit wasbut Shanes own father had made him look at it

That was cruel Really cruel And she kneasnt the first time

Your mother and sister are both dead because of this place, because of the vaet that, did you, Shane?

I didnt forget! Shane shouted He kept trying to make the pictures fit into a neat stack, but he didnt look at theht!

Good It was you got this started Youd better remember that, too Cant back out now

I out!

Then whats all this crap, Things have changed, Dad? Shanes dad mimicked him, and Claire wanted to punch him, never mind that he was about four times her size and probably a whole lotI know, you lose your nerve That thing was Michael, right? The Glass kid?

Yes Shanes throat worked hard, and Claire saw tears glitter in his eyes Yeah, it was Michael

And these two?

Nobody

That one looks like another valare on Eve, and took a step tohere Claire and Eve were huddled on the floor

You leave her alone! Shane dropped the pictures into a pile on the couch and jumped into his fathers path, fists clenched His dads eyebrows raised, and he gave Shane a scar-twisted grin Shes not a damn vampire Thats Eve Rosser, Dad Remember Eve?

Huh, his father said, and stared at Eve for a few seconds before shrugging Turned into a wannabe, then, just about as bad in my book What about the kid?