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away, to run Run & RUN! But in her mind Laurie s voice echoed: only vulnerable to
each other.
It was protecting her. Again. Suddenly, the demon wasn t scary at all.
Let s get to my car and get out of here, she whispered. Deep inside the thing s
depths, she saw a flash of light, like an electric current inside congealed blood.
She moved as quickly as she dared, half crouching behind the demon s form. It
moved with her, keeping itself between Kate and Sander s line of sight. Kate pulled the
keys from her pocket, opened the driver s door. The demon flowed inside, closing its
fingers on Kate s hand and pulling her in with it.
Its flesh was slick and oily. Kate fell behind the wheel, jamming the key into the
ignition. The demon released her, and oddly, where it had touched her, her skin was cold
and dry.
The engine sputtered oh not now, not now! and turned over. She jerked down the
gearshift, stomped on the gas, and squealed away. She risked a glance in the rear view
mirror: Sander standing on the sidewalk, the gun still in his hand. Until she turned the
corner, she expected the back window to explode in a shower of glass, expected a bullet
to drill into her head. But she made the corner, and knew she was safe.
The demon crouched like a chimpanzee in the passenger s seat. The yellow eyes
swam through the inky flesh until they stared at her.
It might have stepped between her and Sander s bullet, but it was still the weirdest
thing she d ever seen, tripping all her animal instincts to flee. She focused on the road,
how very short of a drive it was, from Paul s house to hers.
Um & great job back there. You saved my life. Thanks.
Her only acknowledgement was another flash of internal light. Kate wondered if
Paul controlled the flashes. She wondered if Paul could hear her. She wondered how
angry he was that she d put herself in danger.
When she pulled into the space behind the old Victorian, the dashboard clock glowed
6:32. The stars and the moon were fading, and her skin was covered in a sheen of cold
sweat. She turned off the motor.
I have a safe place. She gestured towards the house. My roommates are gone.
They won t be back all day. You ll be safe. She risked a glance at the yellow eyes.
We ll all three be safe. Okay?
A shimmer of light danced just below the inky skin.
I ll take that for a yes. Kate got out of the car, held open the door. After a moment,
the demon slowly emerged, flowing like diesel oil and molasses. It formed its legs a little
longer, so that they stood eye to eye.
Come on. She turned towards the house. The demon strode with her, side by side.
They'd made it. Kate began to think that everything might work out according to her plan.
For once.
But then the demon's smooth, flowing progress stumbled.
Kate paused, looking back.
A ripple passed through the demon s form, like a contraction across a pregnant
stomach. The thing hunched in an obvious gesture of self-protection.
Kate glanced up at the sky. A ridge of light glowed on the horizon behind the trees.
The ripple turned into a wave, rocking the demon s surface, dropping it to the
ground.
Before she could think about it, Kate went to her knees beside it. She had seen the
pain Paul suffered at dusk. She hadn t realized that sunrise would hurt the demon, too.
The yellow eyes flared and then faded. Its body bowed, straining.
Kate lifted her hand, tentatively reached out to touch it. She felt the convulsions
wracking the thing. It had no facial features but the yellow eyes. Without a mouth it
couldn t groan or scream. Light flashed deep inside the darkness of it, and any pretense
of human form it had melted away. It ran together, creating a vortex of blood and oil. The
yellow eyes came loose from their anchor in the black liquid flesh, drained away into the
swirl.
Kate knelt, unable to move. A breeze kicked through the trees, and she felt tears dry
on her cheeks. She hadn't even realized she was crying.
From the swirling black vortex of the demon, a hand thrust out into the air.
Kate fell back, scrambling crablike away, as another hand, two arms, shoulders, and
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