“I know you said they aren’t our goal, but shouldn’t we at least end their pitiful lives now before we go inside?” Polly said, looking to Bennett.

“No,” Bennett said, assessing the carnage in front of her. “We need what strength we have left for whatever’s in the house.”

“What about the ones that got away? I saw more than a dozen disappear into the woods.”

“We don’t need to worry about them,” Bennett said, looking past Polly to the other women lined up next to her.

Puffs of fogged air escaped their noses and mouths as they tried to steady their breathing, and to Bennett, they seemed like macabre angels. All were dusted in snow, the thin blanket of whiteness covering their hair and clothing, yet amidst the purity were splatters and streaks of scarlet.

Bennett took a step and noticed the rips in Angelique’s breeches. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” Angelique said, looking down. “I’ve healed over. I’m fine. You?”

“Same,” Bennett said before turning to Ruby and Polly. “How about you two?”

“We’re okay,” Ruby said, glancing at Polly. “I think we can all agree we could use another feeding, but there’s no way in hell I’m sinking my teeth into what’s left of those things. They’re fucking nasty.”

“I second that,” Polly said, curling her lip. “Talk about food poisoning.”

Bennett took another step and stood in front of Lisa. Like the others, she was covered in blood, but Bennett wasn’t in love with them, and it showed on her face. “Christ, are you okay, darling?” she said, touching Lisa on the arm. “You look awful.”

“Have you looked in a mirror? You’re not exactly date material at the moment.”

It wasn’t a time for smiles, but Bennett found it hard not to. “Look, I’m not saying you didn’t do well out here because you did, but inside…inside, his people are going to have weapons. They’re going to be stronger than the lot we just faced and—”

“Bennett, I love you. I love you with all my heart, but you seriously need to learn how to take no for an answer,” Lisa said, looking Bennett in the eye. “We came together to do this, and together we will. I don’t care if they have weapons. I have weapons. I don’t care if they’re stronger than the freakish things out here because I’m a daywalker, and that makes me stronger than them on my worst day. Or am I wrong, Bennett? Did you bring us here knowing we’d all be slaughtered?”

“No, of course not.”