Harry and I sprint toward her, running for the temporary sanctuary of the Cathedral. I try to yell to her to wait for us, but I am too out of breath and the words fall limp from my mouth.

But somehow she seems to know and as the door opens she turns. She watches as Harry and Jacob and Argos and I draw closer even while hands try to tug her into the safety of the Cathedral.

Still she stands in the doorway. Hesitating.

It's not as though the world around me slows as much as every detail becomes bright and vivid.

For a moment I feel as if I'm outside myself, floating and watching. I no longer feel the sear of my lungs or the strain of my legs, the tenderness in my knee from having fallen earlier.

Sister Tabitha almost smiles, and I can see that her knuckles gripping the edge of the door are white. My every step seems to take longer and longer. We are close enough now that I can see the Sisters behind her begging her to come inside, yelling for her to close the door. Shouting for the fortification.

But still she waits. Barring the door open, holding them off. She takes a step forward, reaches up a hand as if she can pull us toward her faster.

She does not see the streak of red.

And yet she must sense that something is terribly wrong for suddenly I stop running. She must hear the crack of feet sprinting over dry ground to her right. She must see the look of horror on my face.

Gabrielle is upon her before she can turn her head. Crashes against her before she can register any expression. Sister Tabitha tries to pull back, tries to escape into the Cathedral as Gabrielle tangles in her long black tunic. I watch as the other Sisters' hands shove her out the door. I can hear her cries of pain that turn into screams and gurgles. I hear the panicked shouts of the Sisters inside as they try to close the door, try to thrust Sister Tabitha outside, away from them.

Gabrielle's attention shifts to them and she pushes around Sister Tabitha to gain entrance. She almost makes it, is almost into the Sanctuary. But then Sister Tabitha wraps her arms around Gabrielle's thin body and pulls her away from the opening, even as Gabrielle twists and sinks her teeth into Sister Tabitha's throat.

The door to the Cathedral slams shut and still Sister Tabitha and Gabrielle wrestle on the ground. Fog spins and twirls around their struggling bodies.

I can feel the whimpers choking me and I clamp a hand over my mouth, knowing not to draw attention to myself lest the thing that was Gabrielle seek out a new victim so soon. The Unconsecrated never hesitate to leave a fresh kill in order to bring down another living victim.

It's in their nature to kill and infect above all else.