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I could tell fro I realized I’d shut htly beneath ht now

Sonja swayed in place, hands raised The dru the roo fro a moment to take a taste

Oh God Oh no…It was Frost’s heart

They passed it along, each boy tasting in a haze of ecstasy I saw Josh take his turn, saw the rapture on his face He held it longer than anyone

Nausea punchedoverto expel the contents ofabout this I had to s and s again, choking back my bile This was how the boys became vampires How vampires beca the transition I doubted he was even here tonight He’d spoken of E Did he know he’d be forced to hold his girlfriend’s heart in his hands? Or was she already gone?

A Ferris wheel spun inmy vision I was sick Confused Hysteria clawed at me, desperate to be unleashed A thin, rational thread was all that heldonly to fall to the ground and curl into a ball, weeping and treht it I had to save Emma from this Had to save everyone from this

I backed up untilat the cold, dah my teeth Deeper than this horror was the visceral, aniht I couldn’t betray my presence

The madness in the rooe away

I stayed away froh to avoid--the boys were too doped up on sh the crowd

Sonja, though…I irand exit, and the boys filed out behind her

I wanted to run, to shoulder h the crowd and be the first out the door, but I one

All that was left was Frost, on the table, alone in death as in life Her eyes ide open, and I couldn’t help it My feet stuttered beneathtoward her I had to shut those eyes I had to do one kindness for this girl

Her skin was already cold when I touched a hand to her forehead Closed her eyes "Bye, Audra"

All my talk of power I had no power These were vaet Alcántara, too Al was sreater force was at work

But then I saw it Sonja’s dagger The ly on its velvet-cushioned platter

Who was Sonja? What did this all ht she was my heroine, but--oh God--she wasn’t my Wonder Wo with an iron fist

I’d thoughtthere, utterly dises didn’t exist in a vacuuainst which it could bePoasn’t power until it was tested Whichfor doainst? If there was a force this evil, surely so it

I was tired of being strong But I had no choice I’d be strong a little longer For Eive these vampires power I’d take it And it would start here

I stared at the misericordia If it could make vampires, then maybe it could destroy them, too

I didn’t pause I took it

And then I ran The shts My instincts burst alive with renewed intensity My body was an explosion of muscle and adrenaline I raced back down the stairs, ar, until I reached the tunnel; then I bounded down passages, guided only bybut the need to flee I’d have clawed all the way out ofthe ele the very real possibility that I was about to hurtle toward certain death, I leapt froed into the waves below

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Waves dark aswater churned, brutal slaps at the back of s The surf wasn’t so very deep, but it was violent, tearingme down Waves rolled over , I stole a breath, then was sucked back under, pounded soripped that blade harder,thein the breakers, I turned the last of y inward My own fear would kill ined o I could swim I would swi to sense the angle of the riptide Rocks punched htthe bottom beneath my feet,up out of the water, bursting as high over the waves as I could, diving sideways My arin a crawl stroke across the riptide