She clambered to her feet, brushing the snow off her knees. Her winter boots had pom poms and I coveted owning a pair just like them.

“My stepfather abused me.” Even the memory of him was enough to make me nauseous. He’d gotten away with it because he’d died before I’d found my real power. I’d spat on his grave though. “Then, after my mom died when I was thirteen, I was in a foster home where the so-called ‘foster mother’ pimped out the kids who lived with her.”

My night vision had improved enough that when Darby swung to face me, I could see that her eyes were huge, the exact way I’d known they would be when I told her this—my deepest, darkest secret.

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, well, she didn’t get away with it with me. I barricaded the bedroom door and when she was asleep, I grabbed a knife out of the kitchen and plunged it right into her heart.”

Darby’s mouth dropped open. She stopped walking, turned to face me. “She deserved it.”

My eyes widened. Our breath formed big clouds of frozen vapor around us. I’d known she’d understand. Exhilaration made my eyes water, and so did the wind that was ferocious now we were near the middle of the lake. “She did. But the best thing was they blamed the guy who’d come banging on my door that night. He had a record and they found his prints everywhere. They never even looked at me as a suspect and he ended up sentenced to life in prison.” It had been the first real lesson in my power. “Keep moving,” I urged her.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” Christ, I wasn’t sure anymore. I was lost and not about to admit it. Then I saw a faint light in the distance. A square shape in the darkness. A house? “Head towards that light over there.”

“How did you know where to find me?” Darby asked. She sounded breathless. Was that excitement or fear? Or cold? It was so freaking cold.

My teeth chattered now. And it hurt to shiver as the air seared flesh. “I discharged myself from the hospital. Told the cop on protection duty I wanted to sleep in my own bed for the night and that I’d be okay. He knew he couldn’t stop me, so he told me to come down to the precinct tomorrow to give a sworn statement.” I snorted. “I grabbed a cab to where I’d left my car. Then I drove past the police department and saw the Fed’s SUV still parked outside. I waited nearby and followed when you guys left. I was very careful.”

“We didn’t see you behind us.”

I shrugged. I was pretty proud of myself. I’d hung way back and turned off my headlights when they’d pulled off the main road. Because so few people lived in that area it had been relatively easy to follow their tracks.