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moonlight splashed on him through the branches of a nearby tree. He was holding something
laying limp in his arms, and my breath caught in my throat. Immediately, I thought that something
had happened to Matilda. The boys had gotten too rough, and she d gotten hurt somehow, and
Jack knows how freaked out I get when animals are hurt.
Then I saw Matilda whining by his feet. Her white fur was dripping wet, but then I started notice
dark patches running through it. It was running off of whatever Jack was holding in his arms, but I
still couldn t see it. It was perfectly visible, but my mind just couldn t process. I suddenly felt very
dizzy and disoriented, like I was looking down at the world from an amazing height and I couldn t
make sense of anything.
A wind rustled through the trees, moving the branches, and the moonlight struck him just right.
Then I saw his face, his eyes rolled back into his head, and I saw exactly what Jack was holding
in his arms.
Milo! I screamed, and Mae wrapped her arms around me just in time to keep from running at
Jack. I fought at them in a panicked hysteria, thinking that somehow, being a sobbing crazed
wreck running at him could save Milo. Fortunately, Mae was much stronger than me, and I didn t
stand a chance at pulling myself from her grip.
Ezra brushed past us, hurrying down the embankment towards them. I just kept wailing Milo s
name, as if that would help somehow, and Jack looked absolutely tortured, but I barely noticed
his expression or what he was feeling. All I could see was my little brother, lying bloodied and
limp in his arms, and I didn t even want to imagine what had happened.
Get him inside, Ezra commanded.
Jack kept his arms around Milo, cradling him like an injured child, and Ezra very purposely placed
himself between them and me, trying to shield me from as much of it as he could. I bucked futilely
against Mae s arms as they walked past us, screaming anything I could think of, and I m sure
most of it was unintelligible.
16
It ll be okay, love, Mae tried to reassure me, but I could hear the tremble in her voice. Ezra will
know what to do.
I watched helplessly through the glass windows. With one quick move of his arm, Ezra pushed
everything off the island in the kitchen, and Jack gingerly laid Milo on top of it. Jack just stood off
to the side, watching apprehensively as Ezra inspected my brother. I couldn t hear what they
were saying, but neither of their expressions looked good. Finally, Ezra just pursed his lips and
shook his head.
No! I screamed, and for whatever reason, Mae finally let me go.
I have no idea how I got from outside into the house. The next think I knew was that I was
reaching out for Milo, and Jack grappled me in his arms. His bare skin was covered in lake water
and Milo s blood, and it felt slimy rubbing against my skin. I hit him as hard as I could in the chest,
even though I knew he could barely feel it, and tried to escape his grip.
Let me go! I wailed. He s my brother! And you killed him!
He s not dead! Ezra interjected, and it startled me enough where I stopped squirming away from
Jack.
Then what s wrong? I asked desperately. I had stopped fighting, so Jack loosened his grip on
me but didn t let me go. Can t you fix him? Shouldn t we call 911?
I don t think they can do anything for him, Ezra said solemnly.
But you don t know! I persisted, staring down at Milo. Other than the blood covering his head
and chest, he looked just like he was sleeping, and I couldn t imagine that there was nothing they
could do for him.
We just have to call! Where s my cell phone?
Alice, Ezra said, but I was already trying to search for my cell. Or I would ve been, if Jack would
let me go. I was working myself into a frenzy, certain that a phone call could to 911 would
magically fix whatever was ailing my brother. Alice!
Why aren t you doing anything? I yelled at him. We have to do something!
We are trying to! Ezra insisted. Milo broke his neck and cracked his skull! Even if he lives, he ll
probably be brain damaged and a quadriplegic.
So you re just going to let him die? I cried incredulously.
I don t think that s what anyone s saying, Mae murmured. I turned to look at her, trying to
understand the conflicted expression on her face when it finally dawned on me.
We can try the hospitals, Ezra relented, watching the very slow rise and fall of Milo s chest as he
breathed shallowly. Or& we can turn him.
Into a vampire? I swallowed hard, trying to grasp everything. Jack finally released me and took
a step away from me. When I managed to pull my gaze away from Milo, I looked up at him, and
saw his eyes filled with tears.
I am so sorry, Alice, Jack apologized, his voice thick with despair.
17
His heart is slowing, Ezra looked at me evenly. You re going to have to make a choice, Alice.
Quickly.
If he turns, he ll live, right? I asked breathlessly.
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