knew me, that word. And I knew it.
Leon’s voice, low and rough, broke into my thoughts. “We can protect Audrey.”
“Tonight you didn’t.”
I sucked in a breath. Leon went very still beside me; he seemed about to respond, then vanished instead. It was Mom who spoke.
“If you’re trying to get me to kick your ass,” she told Mr. Alvarez, “this is the way to do it.” Looking at her, I didn’t doubt it. She’d pulled back her hood, and her hair had come free from its bun, floating wildly about her head—but she looked every inch Morning Star.
Mr. Alvarez held his hands up in front of him. “Just bring her to Esther, that’s all I’m saying. Right now we have bigger problems. This makes eight confirmed attacks, and they’re accelerating. We were lucky with these last two—”
Mom gave him a look of disbelief. “Lucky.”
“Two injured girls instead of two dead ones. We were lucky. You can thank Shane for that, by the way.”
She snorted. “Yeah, I’ll do that.” Pausing, she tapped her fingers against her arms, then leaned back against the wall. “Did you happen to get a look at the Harrower?”
“Only a glimpse. It went Beneath before I could reach it. But it wasn’t Tigue, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Tigue. The name stirred a brief memory, then slipped away. Mom frowned. “Maybe I’m wrong about him. I still can’t link him to anything—but at this point, we don’t have many other choices. Unless someone out there is taking great pains not to be seen.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Her voice was soft. “No. It wouldn’t.” After a moment, she shook herself, rubbing her face with her hands. “We won’t figure this out tonight. And if I’m here, you should be out on the streets.”
“Already gone,” he said, spinning around and heading out of the room.
“And, Ryan,” Mom called after him. “Thank you.”
He lifted a hand to wave, but didn’t turn. “Anytime.”
As soon as Mr. Alvarez left, my mother sent me up to bed. “It seems we’re going to have to talk,” she said. “But not tonight. You need sleep.”
Warily, I moved toward the stairs, not meeting her eyes. “You’re not mad?”
“Trust me,” she said. “I am far beyond mad.”
***
A sound at my window woke me.
I couldn’t remember climbing the stairs or crawling into my own bed, but the covers were tugged up around me. I hadn’t dreamed; I hadn’t seen that flash of silver, or Tink’s red dress, or Kelly Stevens lying dead—there was only silence and safety. Until that sound, sharp and repeated, intruded.
I jerked upward in bed, my heart slamming against my ribs.
It was still dark. Moonlight pushed through my blinds, tossing shadows along the walls. The sound came again, and this time I recognized it.
Shivering, I wrapped a blanket around me and slid off the bed. I tugged the window open and peered out into the yard.
Gideon stood below, getting ready to launch another rock. I ducked backward to avoid his aim, but he’d seen me and lowered his arm.
“I tried calling!” he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Mom is gonna kill you if you break my window again!” I called back.
I sensed him smiling somewhere down there in the darkness. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. “You are okay, aren’t you?”
I hesitated. I wasn’t all right—but I didn’t know how to say it. I didn’t know how to explain what I’d seen, how the wind had rushed up, and time had frozen and for a second I’d been certain I would die. There weren’t words for that.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”
I closed the window and crawled back into bed, dragging the covers over my head. Weariness swam over me. I didn’t want to think of anything or remember anything or feel anything. I just wanted to sleep, dreamless and dark.
12
I didn’t get out of bed for a week.
Saturday morning, I woke with a sore, swollen throat
Leon’s voice, low and rough, broke into my thoughts. “We can protect Audrey.”
“Tonight you didn’t.”
I sucked in a breath. Leon went very still beside me; he seemed about to respond, then vanished instead. It was Mom who spoke.
“If you’re trying to get me to kick your ass,” she told Mr. Alvarez, “this is the way to do it.” Looking at her, I didn’t doubt it. She’d pulled back her hood, and her hair had come free from its bun, floating wildly about her head—but she looked every inch Morning Star.
Mr. Alvarez held his hands up in front of him. “Just bring her to Esther, that’s all I’m saying. Right now we have bigger problems. This makes eight confirmed attacks, and they’re accelerating. We were lucky with these last two—”
Mom gave him a look of disbelief. “Lucky.”
“Two injured girls instead of two dead ones. We were lucky. You can thank Shane for that, by the way.”
She snorted. “Yeah, I’ll do that.” Pausing, she tapped her fingers against her arms, then leaned back against the wall. “Did you happen to get a look at the Harrower?”
“Only a glimpse. It went Beneath before I could reach it. But it wasn’t Tigue, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Tigue. The name stirred a brief memory, then slipped away. Mom frowned. “Maybe I’m wrong about him. I still can’t link him to anything—but at this point, we don’t have many other choices. Unless someone out there is taking great pains not to be seen.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time.”
Her voice was soft. “No. It wouldn’t.” After a moment, she shook herself, rubbing her face with her hands. “We won’t figure this out tonight. And if I’m here, you should be out on the streets.”
“Already gone,” he said, spinning around and heading out of the room.
“And, Ryan,” Mom called after him. “Thank you.”
He lifted a hand to wave, but didn’t turn. “Anytime.”
As soon as Mr. Alvarez left, my mother sent me up to bed. “It seems we’re going to have to talk,” she said. “But not tonight. You need sleep.”
Warily, I moved toward the stairs, not meeting her eyes. “You’re not mad?”
“Trust me,” she said. “I am far beyond mad.”
***
A sound at my window woke me.
I couldn’t remember climbing the stairs or crawling into my own bed, but the covers were tugged up around me. I hadn’t dreamed; I hadn’t seen that flash of silver, or Tink’s red dress, or Kelly Stevens lying dead—there was only silence and safety. Until that sound, sharp and repeated, intruded.
I jerked upward in bed, my heart slamming against my ribs.
It was still dark. Moonlight pushed through my blinds, tossing shadows along the walls. The sound came again, and this time I recognized it.
Shivering, I wrapped a blanket around me and slid off the bed. I tugged the window open and peered out into the yard.
Gideon stood below, getting ready to launch another rock. I ducked backward to avoid his aim, but he’d seen me and lowered his arm.
“I tried calling!” he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.
“Mom is gonna kill you if you break my window again!” I called back.
I sensed him smiling somewhere down there in the darkness. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. “You are okay, aren’t you?”
I hesitated. I wasn’t all right—but I didn’t know how to say it. I didn’t know how to explain what I’d seen, how the wind had rushed up, and time had frozen and for a second I’d been certain I would die. There weren’t words for that.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.”
I closed the window and crawled back into bed, dragging the covers over my head. Weariness swam over me. I didn’t want to think of anything or remember anything or feel anything. I just wanted to sleep, dreamless and dark.
12
I didn’t get out of bed for a week.
Saturday morning, I woke with a sore, swollen throat
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