"Show your face, Richard."
My voice cuts through the dark before I can stop it. It comes out sharp and steady, which surprises me because my heart is slamming so hard I can feel it in my throat.
A soft laugh answers me from somewhere ahead.
"There she is," Richard Thornton says. "The little girl finally learned how to speak back."
I cannot see him. That makes everything worse. The dark feels thick and close. Victor is still in the wheelchair beside me. Nathaniel stands near the dead car, too quiet, which means he is thinking fast. Julian moves without a word and places himself half a step in front of me.
The gesture lands harder than I want it to.
"Do not hide behind the dark," Julian says. His voice is low and rough. "If you want me, come and take me yourself."
There is a pause. Th
