Ember (35 page)

F
ing
e
rs
cl
e
nch
e
d
tight
,
M
ir
a
nd
a
ma
d
e
a
sudd
e
n
turn
into
a
da
r
k
a
ll
e
y
w
a
y
.
P
r
ed
i
c
t
ab
l
y
,
h
er
s
t
a
l
k
er
f
o
ll
o
w
ed,
s
t
epp
i
n
g
into
th
e
sp
a
c
e
w
ith
th
e
a
uthority
of
on
e
us
e
d
to
inciting
f
ea
r
,
not
b
e
ing
a
victi
m
of
it
.
H
is
m
ist
a
k
e.
He
took
a
st
e
p
clos
e
r
,
a
nd
his
f
ea
tur
e
s
c
ame
into vi
e
w
.

S
h
e
kn
e
w
this
ma
n
.
He
r
m
ind
r
a
c
e
d
to
pl
a
c
e
hi
m
as
h
e
spok
e.

“
W
h
e
n’d
you
c
a
tch
on
th
e
n?
”
h
e
a
sk
e
d
as
h
e
stroll
e
d
tow
a
rd
h
e
r
.
H
is
costu
me
bord
e
r
e
d
on
th
e
ridiculous
.
L
em
on
a
nd
li
me
pl
a
id
trous
e
rs
me
t
w
ith
a
r
a
spb
e
rry
wa
istco
a
t
.
A
d
a
rk
or
a
ng
e
s
a
ck
co
a
t
a
nd
gr
ee
n
bo
w
l
e
r
co
m
pl
e
t
e
d
th
e
a
trocity
.

“
T
hr
ee
blocks
b
a
ck
.
”
M
ir
a
nd
a
b
a
ck
e
d
up
,
dr
aw
ing
hi
m
furth
e
r
into
th
e
a
ll
e
y
,
awa
y
fro
m
w
itn
e
ss
e
s
.
S
h
e
could
do
this
.
S
h
e
could
fight
.

A
s
m
il
e
split
his
pl
a
in
f
a
c
e,
r
e
v
ea
ling
a gap
b
e
t
wee
n
his
front
t
ee
th
.
T
h
a
t
s
m
il
e.
A
shiv
e
r
lit
ov
e
r
h
e
r
.
He
wa
s
on
e
of
th
e
young
thugs
who
h
a
d
a
ccost
e
d
h
e
r
in
th
e
a
ll
e
y
b
e
hind
h
e
r
ho
me
m
onths
ago.
A
surprising
bolt
of
e
xcit
eme
nt
lit
through
h
e
r
at
th
e
r
ea
li
za
tion
.
W
ould
th
e
d
a
rk
str
a
ng
e
r
who
h
a
d
co
me
to
h
e
r
r
e
scu
e
th
e
n
appear
as
w
e
ll?
S
h
e
qu
e
ll
e
d
th
e
thought
.
O
n
e
coincid
e
nc
e
wou
l
d
not
bring
on
a
noth
e
r
.

T
h
e
ma
n
tilt
e
d
his
h
ea
d
to
r
e
g
a
rd
h
e
r
.
“
I
know
you
.
”
He
touch
e
d
on
e
long
fing
e
r
to
his
j
utt
i
ng
chin
.
“
D
on’t
t
e
ll
me,
it’s
r
a
ttling
a
round
in
me
brain
box
…

“
D
id
we…
”
Fea
th
e
ry
bro
w
s
wa
ggl
e
d
.

“
G
ood
G
od
,
no
,
”
M
ir
a
nd
a
sn
a
pp
e
d
,
which
h
a
d
hi
m scow
li
ng.

“
We
ll
you
don
’t
have
t
o
be
so
v
i
go
r
ous
abou
t
it
,
eh?
”

A
t
t
ha
t
M
ir
anda
gave
a
littl
e
l
augh,
t
hough
she
f
ea
r
ed
she
m
i
gh
t
be
ill
.
“
I
don
’t
see
how
po
lit
eness
f
ac
t
o
r
s
i
n
t
o
t
he
equa
ti
on
when
you
a
r
e
s
t
a
l
k
i
ng
me
i
n
an
a
ll
eyway
w
it
h
t
he
i
n
t
en
t
t
o
do
no
good.
”

T
h
e
w
id
e
sp
a
c
e
b
e
t
wee
n
his
bro
w
s
wrinkl
e
d
for
a
m
o
me
nt
b
e
for
e
cl
ea
ring
.
“
T
ru
e.
”