We grab our jackets, hats, gloves and boots, and bundle up by the front door.
“Be careful,” Ophelia murmurs.
I roll my eyes, unable to stop a smile.
“If someone comes after us, I’ll scream loud enough for you to hear my last words.”
“If we freeze to death, blame Adelaide,” Octavia adds.
“Blame yourself,” Adelaide calls back from the kitchen.
“Check your blood sugar while we’re gone. And don’t let her near anything sharp or flammable.” Octavia tells her sister.
Without missing a beat, Adelaide grabs a metal spoon from the counter and throws it at her.
I step outside just as Octavia ducks.
The cold hits my cheeks immediately.
Octavia falls into step beside me, and the only sound comes from the snow beneath our boots as we make our way down the chalet steps.
“Where would they keep the wood?” I ask.
Octavia shrugs. “No idea. I doubt Adelaide’s ever had to look for it herself.”
We check the garage with no luck.
I sigh, disappointed.
“I really want to light the fireplace. Let’s check around the back. Maybe there’s a shed.”
We circle the chalet, but it’s dark, and visibility is poor.
A noise breaks the silence, and I stop short as my heart begins to beat a little faster.
“What was that?” I whisper. “Did you hear it?”
“Yes.” Octavia’s reply is just as quiet. “Shh. They can smell your fear.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. Whatever’s out here.”
“Oh, fuck.”
The sound comes again, closer this time.
“Why the hell did we have to walk toward the trees?” I hiss. “Couldn’t we have stayed closer to the chalet?”
We stay still for several seconds.
Octavia raises her hand, holding up three fingers.
“On three,” she murmurs.
She counts under her breath, and we bolt together, running as hard as we can.
I nearly lose my footing but catch myself before I go down.
