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“We must consult the books,” Baal Shem replies

Two steps forward and a million back No one speaks as we rateful that Father is driving I tune out as we pull onto the road and I watch the scenery go by The sun sets in a beautiful display of peach, lavender, royal purple, and blush, yet all I feel is cold Resting ht A thump on the windshield draws ness I’d allowed my brain to sink into

“Suicidal bug,” Sacha mumbles

I snicker

Three in to pelt the car like hail The wipers swish furiously, but they’re norushes toward us, effectively cutting us off from the rest of the world as visibility shrinks to less than a foot in front of us A body appears in theinto the air, it sla-limbed creature’s claws clack over the windshield It offers us a jagged, rotting-tooth grin It disappears from view Pop The front tires blow The van swerves as Father fights to gain control

We rurass on the side of the road

“Is everyone okay?” Fel asks

A chorus of ‘yes’ comes back to her

“It’s trying to stop us It’s frightened,” Father marvels

“This ht path,” Baal Shem replies

“We have to get out of the car” I fumble with my seatbelt and shove the door open askeeps us close together while wethe vehicle away into the dense white I screa back If we’d been slower …

I can feel the court racing toward us

“The others will be here soon,” I say We just have to make it until then

An eerie howl goes up in the distance Others join We shrink back In the distance, Itoward us

“Do you see them?” Sacha asks