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Strength That hat I needed Unseelie strength and power; the darkness that was kith and kin to the Book, living inside h the pain It was in the car I’d never make it there I couldn’t even stand up I whi to raise ? The air was ice The pavement beneath me frosted, and I felt it hs An arctic hipped at my hair, tore at ? I had to see!

I sought the sidhe-seer place in my head Thewe feared in the Fae Everything we existed to defend against

I inhaled fast and deep, sucking down breaths so icy they burned s I tried to embrace the pain, and convince myself I was one with it What had Barrons said? I over it Let it crash over me and ride it like a wave It was easier said than done, but I ed to push back on my knees, and raise my head

In the middle of the cobbled street, thirty-five feet aas the Beast

It looked at me Hello, Mac, it said

It knew my name How did it know my name? Fuck Fuck Fuck

The shrieking in ht stilled I was in the eye of its storm

Barrons was five feet frolad I can’t Because if I could find the words for it, they would be stuck inabout it stuck in er in front of you, your brain can’t quite hold on to it The way it moves, the way it looks at you The way it mocks The way it knowsWe see ourselves in other people’s eyes It’s the nature of the hury for it in every facet of our existence Maybe that’s why vampires seem so monstrous to us--they cast no reflection Parents, if they’re good ones, reflect the wonder of our existence and the success we can become Friends, well chosen, show us pretty pictures of ourselves, and encourage us to grow into them

The Beast shows us the very worst in ourselves and

The Beast became the innocent hardcover

Barrons bent to one knee

The hardcover became the Sinsar Dubh, with bands and padlocks It waited I could feel it waiting