Page 93 of Hallows End

“Do you see it, Xander?” Giles asks.

“No. It seems that whatever it is, it wants to frighten our girls.”

“It’s working.” Breena shudders. “And now it’ssmiling.It still has all its teeth, though. So, a zombie with good dental hygiene?”

I narrow my eyes. I want to see it, to try to understand what’s trying to harm these women, but when I look outside, there’s no one there.

“Skinwalker,” I whisper, and Xander nods.

“It’s likely.”

“It’s the eyes that creep me out,” Lucy says.

“We’re only a few hours from Samhain now.” Lorelei looks up at Xander. “And it’s getting braver.”

“It can’t get inside,” Breena points out. “It can’t get to us in here or in any of our homes.”

“It got tomein mine,” Lucy reminds her. “After we had worked some pretty powerful magic.”

“It’s gone,” Lorelei says in surprise, pointing. “It’s just…gone.”

“What the hell?” Lucy asks. “I think I trusted it more when I could see it.”

“This is evil on a whole new level.” Xander reluctantly lets go of Lorelei’s hand and returns to his seat.

“I admit, even what I went through in New Orleans didn’t scare me quite this badly, and that was pretty fucking terrifying.”

“We stay together,” Breena insists. “Like Lorelei said, it’s only a few more hours until midnight, and that’s when it always happens, between midnight and morning. I’m not losing any of you to this sick son of a bitch.”

“Wow, youneverswear,” Lorelei says and then pats Breena on the shoulder. “Good job.”

“I’msomad.” Breena scowls down at her hands. “I’ve never been this pissed off.”

I narrow my eyes at her. “Never?”

“No.” She stands and starts to pace the room, her blond hair swirling around her shoulders as she moves back and forth, anger coming off her in waves. “I want to punch something. Hard.”

“This is…different,” Lucy says thoughtfully.

She’s not herself, she says only to me.

I share a look with Xander, and he nods once.

It seems this particular evilcancome inside.

“Breena, why don’t you sit down?” Xander asks softly. “I’ll pour you some whiskey.”

“I don’t want your fuckingwhiskey,” she shouts as she rounds on him. “I don’t want anything fromyou, except for all of you to just leave me alone. Just leave me the fuck alone!”

She rushes out of the room, and Giles immediately runs after her.

“It has her.” I have to work to keep my voice calm.

“We have to get itoutof her,” Lucy says urgently. “Why are we sitting here?”

“I have her!” Giles shouts from the other room. “Hurry!”

Xander grabs my sister’s Book of Shadows, and we run to the living room, where Giles is holding a snarling Breena.

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