“I see her,” a man’s voice whispered. A chill spread through me. Shane played it again. Never had three little words terrified me so much. I see her.”

“Do you see those white shapes?” he asked. I sucked in my breath. “What is it?” Mom shook her head. “We’re not sure yet. But, Charlotte, whatever they are, it appears that they followed us here.”

“Too cold,” I mumbled. A second later, I felt a warm sensation, almost as if someone was lowering a blanket onto me. “Charlotte.” It was just a whisper, faint and far away.”

“[Zelden] turned to me. “Wait here. Inform Marcus that we will be setting up in the first-floor kitchen. I believe it may function as a portal to the other realm.”“The demons crawl out of the oven,” Annalise whispered to me as she passed.”

“I had learned how to leave a place behind without leaving a piece of myself along with it, but more important, I had taught myself how to be detached. I never joined teams or clubs, and I doubted my picture appeared in a single yearbook. I was, in a way, a ghost: no one could prove I had ever existed once I physically left a location.”

“I wanted someone to gaze at me that way, someone to share a truly incredible moment with. I wondered how long I would have to wait.”

“Before we had left for Charleston, I had been shoved—hard—by and unseen spirit wreaking havoc in our house. I had been hurt, but it wasn’t nearly as serious as what had happened in Ohio.I tried to smile. “I guess I’m just a paranormal punching-bag.”