“It’s… I can’t tell,” I say through numb lips. The itching is making it hard to think.
A scurrying sound fills me with dread.
Yes, Céline, itisall coming back to me.
I leap aside, diving behind the kitchen table as four rats skitter past and out the door.
“It’s the house!” Sky cries. “The curse activated when you crossed the threshold.”
Natalie scoffs. “Come on, a wholehousecan’t be cursed.”
I gasp, understanding slamming into me. “No, she’s right. It’s why I can’t get a read on which direction it’s coming from.”
Sky’s eyes widen in horror. “But we can’t neutralize it until we get Dad out!”
“Then start looking!” I yell as the music crescendos.
Natalie cups my chin, her fingers hot against my skin as she forces me to meet her gaze. Her touch sends that familiar current through me, and I can feel her fear pulsing between us. “Katie, are you sure—”
Something smacks into my back, little claws digging through my jacket. I scream over Céline, trying to shake the animal off as Natalie lunges to help.
“Get—off!” She grabs it, and I spin to see a fat raccoon wriggling in her hands before she grunts in pain and lets go. It hits the ground and whirls around to hiss at us.
More raccoons drop from the ceiling, raining down. I throw my arms over my head and dodge their claws. The thumps of their chubby bodies hitting the linoleum are drowned beneath the music.
Natalie and I scream, leaping over and between the furious animals as they scurry past and out the open door.
Meanwhile, the Shadows have split up, their footsteps pounding through the house as they search every room.
“Katie—” Natalie starts.
I push her forward. “Go!”
“Here!” Hayley shouts. “Basement stairs!”
I race toward her voice, but the curse has other plans. My toe catches on a floorboard, sending me sprawling. Pain jolts up my arms.
“God—damned—curses!” I shriek, stumbling to my feet.
The cacophony drowns out my string of swear words as I limp after Hayley.
She leads the way down the steps, all of us following. I’m the only one whose foot breaks through the third step, and I cry out in pain as my leg sinks to the thigh.
Natalie and Neil grab me under the arms and haul me out like I’m a bag of flour.
“You good?” Neil asks, dusting me off.
I grit my teeth, patting my torn jeans and coming away with a bloody palm. “Keep going. The faster we find him, the faster we can neutralize this fucking thing.”
I don’t meet Natalie’s eye, afraid she’ll read my thoughts. My breathing’s okay for now, but it probably won’t be long until my airway starts to close.
As we descend, the song becomes muffled, and an awful stench hits my nose—urine and sweat mixed with the stale, underground scent of a basement.
Hayley tugs the light string.
Oh God.
Iron bars. Cracked cement. A cot with a crumpled blanket. A toilet in the corner. It’s not unlike the cell I spent the night in, but it’s a hell of a lot dirtier.
