again, and I’ll be dealing with it all on my own. Again.”

Mom putting me in the hidey-hole in the closet, telling me I was her own good girl. Gran in the hospital bed, sliding away hour by hour. Dad walking down that concrete corridor toward the door that

would open onto something grinning and hateful—and deadly.

And now, Graves.

Christophe sounded like he had something stuck in his throat. “When do you think I haven’t been

watching over you? But I’m not going to ‘disappear’ again, Dru. That’s done now.” Christophe

shifted his weight as if he was going to turn around, and I clutched the clothes to me just in case.

“Yeah. Sure.” I headed for the white-tiled glare I was certain was a bathroom. I hoped someone had

thought to bring my toothbrush, too. If the vampires hadn’t bled on it. “Sure it is.”

“Wait and see.” The mockery was back. “I’ll be hard to get rid of from now on, moj maly ptaszku.”

I found out it was indeed a bathroom. White and scrubbed, antique brass fixtures and a skylight letting in a flood of sunshine. Wow. You could get a tan standing around in the shower, for Christ’s

sake. “It’s easy to get rid of people, Christophe. All you have to do is rely on them.” I swung the

door shut and locked it, feeling like I’d won a small victory.

It was ridiculous. What was there to win? He hadn’t been fighting.

I just, God, I wished he would have been Graves. I wanted to see that lopsided half-pained smile

and those green eyes more than I could even admit to myself.

When you want to tell me, you come and find me.

Which meant he was coming back, right? Where the hell was he? It wasn’t like him. But he’d been

pretty mad. Put his fist almost through the wall. Because I hadn’t been able to open my mouth fast

enough.

Even Shanks said he was coming back. But Shanks didn’t know him that well, did he? There hadn’t

been time for them to get really tight.

Did I even know my Goth Boy that well?

It was looking like I didn’t.

Graves was the one thing I could depend on in this utterly screwed-up situation, and without him

around I was . . .

Way to go tough girl, Dru. Jeez. He’s just a boy. Get over it.

But he wasn’t just a boy. He was the only boy I’d found worth dating in God knows how many

schools. I mean, ever since he’d been bitten by a werwulf he’d been rock-steady. The best thing

about this totally effed-up situation.