cracked thro

or. One drew his weapon; the other

d her grip o

drove the knife into his calf-not deep, but enough to make him howl and stumb

op

ont door, backlit by rain and the porch lamp. She c

the stran

uard

loor. The injured man lurched toward Raina, grabbing the back of her shirt. She

ai

Or the memory of i

rdered the wounded men to lie still. Raina pressed her back

e closer,"

I'm not going

have

tting i

ched her, but the room seemed to tilt away. She looked past hi

she whi

wed her gaze. His

rry," h

olded beneath her. He caught her

weakly, then lost the s

" he said. "He

ed to ask if Lucian had left. She want

dark rushed u

the ceiling abo

f antiseptic and damp clothes. Something tugged at the back of her hand. Sh

"You're in a clinic. D

blue scrubs stood beside the bed, che

's my

paused. "I

erself upright. A sharp cry

you need

ll

s softened. "He

ds made no sense. They hung

king to me,

kno

bbed my

r hand, but Raina pulled

" Raina whispered.

ther and stared at the light. Tears slid to

here I am?" she as

. The man who brought you said it wasn't

broug

t leave h

what happene

olice came to the house. They took state

d at her. "

s says the men connected to your father'

urched. "Al

at the rep

s whitened. "I saw two men in the house. Luc

ard the closed door.

hy

know who

ed. "Did the poli

e were no survi

s not

he hallway through the narrow window i

etly. "You're safe here for now. You don't have

de her. She could still feel the floor beneath her cheek, the weight pinning her down,

clothes,"

ng kept for

ther's

ing se

t," Raina

leaned clo

thi

is inside the saint. She didn't know which saint, or where it wa

have

ld it while Raina drank. Her hands shook agains

eck your bandage

for the blanket. The nurse n

"I'll tell you be

at tightened

ade it. Raina kept her eyes fixed on the wall, counting the seconds until it w

aid. "Use the call butto

hen stopped. Her hand h

it?" Ra

d back. Her fac

she whispered. "The ones

up despite the pain

d close, barely

did this are