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Prologue

Violet leaned forward on her hands and knees over the frozen landscape Inside her boots, her toes felt as if icy shards were burrowing beneath her skin and slithering into her veins Her fingers were very likely frostbitten within her gloves

The flashlight’s beah the veil of blackness that had settled over the wintry forest, creating a spotlight where Violet had been trying to uncover the ground beneath the soft layer of snow

In her drugged state, she couldn’t be certain that she wasn’t hallucinating as she stared at the loith an unnatural life of its own It was both strange and beautiful

But her thoughts were thick, and she struggled for each one, dredging them up from the swampy depths of her confused mind

He spoke to her, unaware that her brain filtered his words, ju less than coherent She tried to concentrate as the tranquilizing sensation bled through her, deadening her senses

But she was cognizant enough to be afraid—terrified, even—of thisto recognize that he was disturbed And dangerous

He’d followed her In the h the haze that distorted her awareness, she realized that he must have knohy she was there That he someho she had found the body

She glanced down at his hand, at what he held there, and her tangled thoughts immediately cleared

She watched while he gripped the handle of the shotgun tightly in his fingers, and then he looked at her “I’m really sorry that you found her,” he explained sadly “I didn’t want anyone else to die”

Chapter 1

January, Five Weeks Earlier

Chelsea leaned down to Violet like she had a secret to tell, so she didn’t want anyone else to hear “Check out the new eye candy!” Chelsea shouted,Violet jump

Violet was pretty sure that everyone in the cafeteria had just heard her friend As usual, Chelsea’s internal filter seemed to be turned off