My gaze flickered back to the witch. I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t find a single thing to say. Every word died on my tongue. My throat felt thick, and it was hard to swallow. If I thought for too long, I was afraid I might start crying again, but I didn’t have any tears left.
Walter rejoined us, crouching next to Val and giving me a curious look. “Miss Celeste,” he said. “What on Earth were you thinking? You’re lucky the vampires found you. Even with your equipment, you easily could have frozen to death out there.”
“I wasn’t thinking,” I admitted quietly. I couldn’t look them in the eyes, so I stared down at my fingers instead, still pale from the cold. “Piers and I were talking and I…” I shook my head.
Walter squeezed my knee. “Celeste,” he said quietly. “Please tell us what happen
