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Chapter One

I hit the ground running—or stu; it was kind of hard to tell when it felt like the earth was cru under my feet

And then I realized that was because the earth was cru under my feet

“Craaaap!”

I plu and feet stillbut , snow-covered land way the hell too far below I kneas supposed to be doing so in round was rushing up to meet me at a pace that promised one very mushed clairvoyant in the very near future—

And then I was jerked back up, fast enough to cut off my breath, to leave me dizzy Or maybe that was the feel of the hard ar relief of Not dead, not dead yet—

Because that never gets old

My name is Cassie Palht to expect In the past two months, I’ve been shot, stabbed, beaten and blown up a few dozen tiical ways I’ve alo if not for my friends, one of whom had just jumped off the cliff after me

I’d have been a lot more appreciative if he hadn’t pushed me first

My nose was running, I couldn’t see worth shit and my brain was still frozen in abject terror So for afor h my chest Out of the corner ofus up, and it wasn’t reassuring

It was ale that was largely invisible against the brilliant sky It had a do doard to wrap around us,as a bus and had a habit of drifting around over the Colorado Rockies What it as alic, formed into a parachute that I didn’t trust at all

On the other hand, I did trust the ht me from the front instead of from behind That way I could have kneed him in the nuts

“You did that on purpose!” I gasped when I was able to breathe

“Of course”

“Of course?” I looked up, but had to crane -side up The clear green eyes were the same, and, unfortunately, so was the spiky blond hair

It didn’t look any better frole, I decided

“You have yet to learn to react reliably under pressure,” I was told “Until you do, you are vulnerable”

I tried swivelingat someone upside down doesn’t work But all I saas part of a reen sweatshirt My sometimes friend, sometimes ene a coat

Of course he wasn’t