“Nightmare is,” Miz corrected, his palms tightening on my waist. “We have to go. One thing’s occurring tonight and I don’t need you concerned.”

I stared on the empty stretch of grass, and as a lot as I wished to go looking the woods, the lake, and each constructing on campus till I discovered the hooded determine, I didn’t wish to know. I wished to cling to the previous few scraps of doubt. It could possibly be another person. It won’t be Byron.

“This fashion, Cat,” Distress stated, one thing flat in his voice now. I wrapped my arm round his again, pulling him shut. My very own voice did that typically once I was overwhelmed.

“Miz?”

“We have to go this manner,” he echoed, guiding me previous the marquee and down the again of the laboratory constructing, the nice and cozy lights falling away right here till the fog appeared much less magical and extra threatening. The twisted silhouettes of topiaries seemed like watchful figures. I remembered the primary time I met the blokes, when fog had crept throughout the moors as Nightmare hunted me. I remembered her howl of frustration when Loss of life stopped her with a veil of darkish magic.

“Okay,” I soothed Miz, stroking his again. I didn’t know what had triggered his panic, however I might guess. The lake was too shut right here, and his reminiscences should have been consuming at him. “It’s okay, we’ll go this manner.”

“Do you belief me?” he requested, trembling.

“Sure,” I answered with out hesitation. I won’t have trusted him two months in the past, however I did now. He was an asshole typically, however he’d by no means bodily damage me. He’d by no means lied to me, in contrast to Byron. Did I nonetheless belief By…? I couldn’t reply that query till I spoke to him and came upon what was occurring.

It could possibly be one thing harmless. He won’t be working for Nightmare, stalking Ford college students. I prayed for one more rationalization.

Miz led me throughout the manicured discipline the place the storage sat, Rosalind Woods hugging the fitting fringe of it. I saved my arm round him, saved him shut for consolation, for heat because the biting wind minimize by my tulle gown. My fingers have been so numb I might barely really feel my silver clutch in opposition to my palm.

I scanned the sector, and startled once I noticed we weren’t the one ones right here—forward of us, strolling in direction of the storage was a squat feminine determine in a butter-yellow robe, her bronze pores and skin luminous within the moonlight and lengthy brown hair like a ribbon of silk down her again. For a second, my coronary heart stuttered and I believed it was Darya, however Darya was useless. I killed her.

I hugged Miz tighter, shivering in opposition to the chilly each inside and out of doors my physique. I wanted Tor and Loss of life have been right here, too, wished all of them at my again, wished the security of figuring out they have been with me.

“Are you okay?” I requested Miz.

Forward of us, the girl within the yellow gown turned on the sound. My breath strangled in my throat.

I shook my head, staring on the girl, time slowing till she confronted ahead and started to run.

It was unattainable. I stabbed her. She died. Loss of life needed to eliminate her physique. However there was no denying it. The lady within the yellow gown was Darya.

I didn’t cease to assume. I ran after her.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

CAT

Darya fled previous the storage and over a low wall onto the moors. I tore the tulle skirt of my gown climbing after her, however I didn’t cease to examine the injury. I ran till I used to be out of breath, utilizing the moonlight to see the tough grasses and heather underfoot. The Christmas scent of the gala had given approach to wild grass and chilly, biting air.

“Name Loss of life and Tor,” I referred to as as I ran, breathless and strained.

“Already completed,” Miz replied, his stress at an all-time excessive as a result of his voice was even flatter. I wished to cease to hug him, however I couldn’t let Darya get away. I wanted solutions.

I killed her. However there she was, working throughout the moors forward of me, the skirts of her yellow gown flying behind her. There was no mistaking it was her, even within the silvered mild. She was alive.

“Darya!” I shouted. “Cease!” And since she would possibly assume I’d come to kill her once more, I breathlessly added, “I don’t wish to damage you, I simply wish to discuss. Please.”

However she didn’t sluggish, not to mention cease. A sew pulled throughout my aspect, till ache flashed like lightning by my physique, my respiration strained and sharp.

“Keep shut,” I panted to Miz, lifting the skirts of my gown above my ankles so I might run quicker, by no means taking my eyes off the yellow gown streaking throughout the moors forward of me.

I didn’t cease to marvel why Darya was working, didn’t assume she may be main me on an intentional chase till a cloud handed over the moon, casting the island into non permanent darkness.

When it cleared, mild beaming down on the moors once more, Darya was now not working. She stood a number of metres forward of the place I floor to a sudden cease, a tall, robed determine and a well-known, smiling girl beside her.

Nightmare.

Darya had led me right into a entice.

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