The House That Holds Our Hearts

ked, his voice cracking. "We c

s a bust. Ethan said the fence is ten feet high, but he didn't say it

on. The spikes at the top are a foot long. Y

here is admitting defeat. Let's at least get a c

than had indicated. It was as formidable as he'd described. The black bars were thick

Alex, you're the lightest. Give me a

ngly agile in her business attire, placed a polished shoe into his palms a

f the ground. "The bars... they're slick," she said th

d, her other shoe scraping against

r voice tight with confusion.

possible to see. "What do

, her voice rising in panic. "I can't... I

rying to see what she was seeing

en, a

isper, right n

ath on my neck. I fli

hing there. J

hat?" I asked, my he

an said, looking

s laugh, but it was distorted, warped. At the same time, I felt something brush ag

only one. Bri

backward and tripping over a loose rock. She l

lost h

landing in a heap on the ground. "My ha

ngry red scratch ran across the back

pale with shock and pain. "It fe

thing was what w

r. It wasn't from a crow or any bird I recognized. It was impossibly dark, a

voice trembling as

cynical mask had finally cracked, replaced by a look of dawning horror. Even

ther was physical proof. The scratch on Chloe's hand was real. Th

n't just a story for

as h

already dra