Too worried to think straight, I followed his gaze back to the limo. Rainer opened the door and let out a girl wearing oversized sunglasses and a long black coat with a fur collar. Her wavy hair spilled down her shoulders. She turned to look straight at us and her lips twitched into a small smile. I squeezed Dillan’s hand back, about to ask him what was wrong, but the next word out of his mouth froze my insides.
“Katarina,” he said.
My gaze shifted from the girl to the black mass forming in the distance. It was as small as a puff of smoke, but it grew bigger the closer it got to us. It seemed to move fast. Like a tidal wave in the sky.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing toward the writhing dark cloud.
Curses so foul they made my skin crawl came from Dillan the second he followed my line of sight. His grip on my hand tightened to the point where I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore. I tore my gaze from the cloud to look at him. He didn’t meet my gaze, too focused on what was coming.
“Selena,” he said, still not looking at me. “You’re going to need to run.”
I squeezed his hand as hard as he squeezed mine. “Why?” I barely got the question out. I knew enough of the world I lived in now not to dismiss anything as normal anymore. “What is that?”
Slowly, he turned his head to face me. Fear crossed his eyes. “Please, Selena. You need to find a safe place to hide.”
From his clipped tone, I knew he was trying really hard to stay calm. I wasn’t buying it. I could feel the sweat gathering between our palms. Something was up and I wasn’t leaving until I found out what. No more secrets. No matter the threat, we’d face it together. We’d been through too much already.
“Not until you tell me what that cloud is.” My voice hardened. He needed to know I meant business.
“That isn’t a cloud.” A muscle ticked along his jaw from clenching his teeth too hard. “That’s a horde of banshees.”
Acknowledgments
I always begin this section of the novel by thanking the one constant in my life: family. Thank you for the unfailing love and belief. I cannot live my life to the fullest without you.
Dad, thank you for never giving up on my dream. For letting me run with my passion and never judging me. You were always there to drive me to my classes, waiting at McDo for hours until I got out, and accidentally mixing tea with coffee.
Mom, thank you for always having my back. You know more than anyone what’s best for me. I didn’t get that when I was younger, but I get it now. You are a force to be reckoned with. You never let anyone get you down. I want to be you when I grow up.
Bromonster, thank you for letting things slide. You’ve seen me at my worse, but you never let it affect you. Here’s to many more years of hanging in there. I promise I will be better.
Liz, thank you for believing in the stories in my head and welcoming me into the Entangled family. I couldn’t have asked for a better home for Til Death and the rest of the books to come in the series.
Stacy, thank you so much for the yummy last minute notes. They helped put things into perspective for me. Thanks for making sure we get this one right. I owe you a beverage when we see each other again.
Heather, Morgan, and Katie, I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing publicity team. You ladies kick ass. Your enthusiasm impresses me to the ends of the universe and back. Free chocolates for everyone!
Leia, Meann, and Ronald, thank you for asking all the right questions. Thank you for letting me into your world even just a little. And thank you for all the LoLs in and out of Twitter. You three crack me up. We have to meet for lunch again.
To Southville, for sharing with me such a proud moment. Thank you for letting me speak to your next generation of high school students. I forever hold the purple, pink, and green in my heart.
Angie, thank you for being the best Sis ever. You hold me up when I freak out. You get angry a hundred times more for me than I do. Your presence in my life, even a thousand miles away, means a lot to me. Your dream is just around the corner, Sis.
Sophie, thank you for the messages on Whatsapp and for squee-ing over White Collar. I forever love reading your thoughtful blog posts. I’m so flying to London. Better be ready.
To everyone in my mentions feed, especially Alyssa, Jaz, Andrew, Louisse, and Patricia, thank you for your continued support and for always making my day. Your messages even at 140 characters or less matter so much to me. Stay awesome!
To friends past, we may have parted ways for reasons beyond our control, but always know that you have a place in my heart. Our time together meant a lot to me. Thank you for filling my life with moments I can treasure.
To all the bloggers, thank you for being the life blood of a novel. Without you, half the people wouldn’t have known. Keep on reviewing. Keep on recommending.
And last but never the least is you, dear reader. Thank you for entering the world of Selena and Dillan. You think Newcastle is a crazy place now, wait until you get to Book Two. It’s about to get fifty shades of cray cray around here.