*
Hovering somewhere between awake and asleep, my mind got stuck on my great-grandfather’s journal. He’d written every passage in past tense, except for the one about the “she” who was supposed to die for the well-being of many. So, the girl had obviously come along after him.
But he’d made it sound like she was coming right away. If so, I wasn’t her. She had already lived and died.
But that couldn’t be true, because the well-being of many hadn’t yet been established.
Had it?
Was there some piece of the puzzle I hadn’t yet seen?
Something hard and warm settled on my shoulder, shaking me. I came up swinging.
The person responsible ducked, barely avoiding a black eye. “Whoa!” she said, frowning as she straightened.
“Juliana?” I rubbed my eyes, a thread of unease winding around me. “What are you doing here?”
“There’s a problem,” she said, and she did sound worried. “Cole needs you outside.”
Cole? I checked the bed. No indentation to prove he’d ever returned. “What problem?”
Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “Like he’d really tell me. I’m a baby, remember?”
Good point. Did this have anything to do with our last vision?
Juliana backed away from me. “I had a message and I delivered it. Cole wants you out back ASAP. Like, five-minutes-ago ASAP. But go ahead. Take your time. Maybe he’ll finally wise up and kick your scrawny ass to the curb.” She stomped out of my room, the door slamming behind her.
Brat.
“You’re sweeter than sugar. Said no one. Ever,” I mumbled. As I threw my legs over the side of the bed, my phone rang. If Cole thought to command me to hurry...
I picked up, barked, “What?”
“Get everyone out of the house!” River’s frantic voice registered. “Now! Don’t waste time doubting me. What’s the worst that could happen if I’m lying? Just get everyone out. I went through Camilla’s papers. They’ve rigged bombs, Ali. They’re set to go off sometime today. I’m on my way. We’ll help you find and deactivate them. Okay? All right? Trust me on this. Please.”
Bombs? My heart raced. Was this why Cole wanted me outside?
No. Couldn’t be. He never would have sent Juliana back inside.
I rushed to the window. The sun was high, bright. I had a view of the massive backyard but saw no sign of Cole.
“Did you hear me, Ali?” River demanded.
“Yes. You wanted to know what was the worst that could happen if you’re lying. Well, you could have Anima waiting outside, ready to ambush us.”
Did I really think he would do that, though? That he’d help Anima like his sister?
No. No, I didn’t.
“Ali,” he said, and he sounded agonized.
“Okay, I’ll—” The rest of the sentence died in my throat. Helen had just come strolling out of the house, and two men in hazmat suits had just stepped from the bushes, clearly intending to grab her, not realizing she was spirit rather than flesh.
If they could see her, they were slayers, and she had dropped her cloak. But why would she do that?
I beat my hand against the pane, but of course, no one glanced up. I turned, raced for my door.
“What’s wrong?” River demanded.
Boom! The entire house rattled on its foundation. Plaster crumbled. Dust and smoke thickened the air, and I coughed as I stepped into the hall.
Boom!
Boom!
Good glory. The bombs!
“Ali!” River said.
“It’s happening.” Trying not to panic, I tripped my way to the staircase, looked down. Countless zombies ghosted through the walls, entering the mansion. They had somehow breached the Blood Lines.
Or Camilla had wiped away the Blood Lines before we’d left for the club.
My throat went dry. The zombies wore collars, as usual, but today, small packs of explosives were hooked to each one.
Lord, save me. Anima’s actions the past few weeks began to make sense. The reason they had sent zombies out in the light of day that first time—they’d been testing to see how long the creatures could withstand the rays of the sun. They’d been testing us, too, to see how we would react. Then they’d waited until we were too exhausted to fight and ambushed us.
We’d been outplayed.
Boom!
The house shook against the force of another explosion.
Either Anima had stopped caring about keeping me alive, deciding to eliminate us all, or—
Oh, no. Not or. Please not or. Or Juliana had been working with them. Had attempted to lure me outside so the Hazmats could whisk me to safety while my friends died. Helen must have seen them and gone to check things out so that she could learn what was going on and warn me.
I dropped my phone and sprinted down the hall. “Cole!” The smoke thickened in the hallway, and my coughing intensified. “Kat!” I had to get them out. Now.