CHAPTER TWENTY

Winter

I stare at the creatures, their long hooded cloaks barely skimming the ground, fear filling my every cell.

We need to run.

We need to hide.

I know these things are dangerous. What it is they do, I don't know. Maybe I did at some point, but it's like information is slipping right out of my brain.

"Run!" I point at a break between two wisps, and Alec and I duck through it.

We take off, our feet pounding against the spongy earth. We sprint through the mist, our hearts racing and our breath coming in short gasps. I can hear the wisps behind us, their eerie whispers filling the air. I glance back and see them getting closer.

"We need to find somewhere to hide," I say, looking around frantically.

But there's nowhere to go. The landscape is barren, with only twisted trees and gnarled roots around us. I can feel the wisps closing in, can feel their cold breath on the back of my neck.

"Alec!" I shout, my voice quivering with fear. "What do we do?"

"I don't know!" he yells b