“It’s Cookie.” My voice rose. “The cook from the manor.”
At my outburst, the monster’s head swiveled my way. Instead of cornflower blue, her blackened eyes took my measure. Bloody tendons flexed where her throat was torn open. She moaned, pointing at me.
Dearest Cookie. She didn’t deserve this. None of them did. I pressed a hand to my mouth. “She’s—she’s…” Horror stole the words from my tongue.
“Dead,” Thorne barked.
Was she, though?
“Come on, Princess.” He pulled at my icy limbs, forcing my frozen body off the ground.
Once I was upright, I noticed some of the other creatures who’d emerged were stumbling our way as well, vacant gazes locked on me.
“You,” they moaned, slimy green drool oozing from their mouths.
“Fates save me, I don’t like the sound of that.”
Thorne seized my hand, dragging me into a run. My feet scrambled to keep up.
“Please tell me you have a plan,” I shouted.
“Of course, I do.”
“And what is it?”
“Run.”
“That’s it? Run?” I shrieked.
“You got a better idea?”
No, I really didn’t.
We turned a corner and skidded to a stop. “Oh no,” I groaned. Stretched across the road were several of the ghouls.
“Back!” Thorne spun us around, only to halt again as more ambled into the alley, blocking our path.
“Now what?”
“There.” He pointed to a ladder propped against a building, a bucket of spilled paint below it. “Climb up. Hurry.”
“Are you sure about this?” I set my foot on the rung, scrambling upward.
“Not at all.” He clambered up close behind me. “But the view is nice.”
It figured, his face was right at ass level. Blackguard.
Once we reached the tiled roof, Thorne kicked the ladder over. One creature who’d started up crashed to the ground. The beasts weren’t deterred for long, though. Two of them scaled a nearby balcony. Their claw-tipped fingers scrabbled against the tiles.
“Fabulous,” I muttered. “They can climb.”
“Let’s go,” Thorne urged, jogging along the roof ridge.
“Go where?” I followed until he vaulted the gap between buildings, landing on the neighboring rooftop.
I froze at the edge. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Come on.” He held out his hand. “You can do this. I’ll catch you.”
