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"Run!" she screamed.
Chapter Three
My first reaction was to turn around and see what had Lenore so scared, but she threw me behind her.
"Get out of here!" she yelled. "Now!"
She shoved me, propelling me into the kitchen. I turned around to protest but Lenore had already gone back into the living room. I glanced at the back door in the kitchen, but I knew there was no way I was going anywhere. Regardless of what Lenore had seen, this was my fight as much as it was hers.
I crept back towards the living room and froze in horror when I saw Claudia standing in front of Lenore, a taunting smile stretched across her face.
"I see dear little Caitlin has picked up some protectors." Claudia crossed her arms against her chest, looking amused. "Too bad it won't do any good."
Lenore was clutching her necklace, an iridium medallion that I had seen earlier, and she was boring holes into Claudia, not saying a word. I would have thought she felt no fear if it wasn't for her shaking hand holding the necklace.
Claudia laughed gleefully as she watched Lenore. It would be hard to accept that the pretty blonde before me was no longer a sweet college girl if it wasn't for the evil burning in her eyes.
"Stupid human. Your powers are nothing against me. That cheap piece of metal will do nothing to protect you. It certainly can't hurt me." Claudia reached up, touching a piece of metal on a chain around her neck. Instead of glinting in the sunlight, it gave off shafts of darkness.
Lenore still had her medallion clenched in her hand, not saying a word. Claudia walked closer to Lenore, so fast that it was almost a blur, and her hand shot out, closing around Lenore's throat. I went into action without thinking, rushing into the living room.
"Stop! Let her go!"
Claudia cocked her head, her hand still wrapped around Lenore's throat. Lenore was grabbing futilely at the hand while pressing her medallion against Claudia. Claudia batted it away like it was a pesky fly.
"I was wondering when you were going to step forward."
"Stop it! You're killing her!"
Claudia grinned insanely. "That's the point."
I frantically looked around for a weapon and picked up the first object I saw, a small statue on the side table behind the sofa. With my heart pounding in my ears, I barreled towards Claudia, my arm raised with the statue clutched in my hand. I swung my hand down as hard as I could, wanting to connect with Claudia's head. I wanted to scream in frustration when my hand just sliced through air. Claudia moved so quickly that I lost sight of her. I frantically looked around, trying to find her.
Lenore was crumpled in a heap on the floor. I quickly leaned over her although I kept my gaze raised, frantically looking for Claudia.
"Lenore, are you okay? Get up! We have to go!"
"Pull her into you." Lenore's voice was raspy, as if every word that passed through her throat ravaged her. "Pull Claudia's vardoger out of her body and into yours."
I was about to answer when I felt a presence behind me. I whipped around, struggling not to flinch when I saw Claudia standing above me with a glowering stare.
"This is what I'm up against?" she scoffed. "This is the great powerful seer? You're nothing but a naive little girl." She grinned maniacally. "I'm going to enjoy this."
She reached down and grabbed me by the neck, raising me until I was off the floor, my feet dangling helplessly. I scrambled for the iridium coin in my pocket and Claudia simply raised her eyebrows, not stopping me. My hand grabbed hold of the metal coin and I pulled it out.
"I see you're slow to learn," Claudia said, shaking her head disappointedly. "I thought you were going to make this fun."
I ignored her and tried to remember what my aunt had told me about pulling vardogers into you. I strained with all my might, imagining Claudia's vardoger separating from her body, being sucked into mine. I clenched my teeth, willing it to happen with every last bit of my strength, focusing all my energy on pulling the shadow out.
Claudia bared her teeth, looking like a feral animal. I stared into her grey eyes, imagining every molecule of my being attaching to her vardoger, drawing it out. I could feel sweat pouring down my face, trickling down my back, as it became harder and harder to breathe. But I didn't stop concentrating on focusing every part of my being into swallowing Claudia's vardoger.
I saw the shift in Claudia's eyes, the expression of triumph changing into fear. She dropped me and I fell onto the ground with a loud thud, the connection broken. I panted with fear and adrenaline, my throat burning with each breath.
"How is it possible?" Claudia hissed, backing away. Her hiss
turned into a scream. "How is it possible!?" She whipped her head around, looking possessed. "Hurry," she screamed. "Take her!"
I tried to follow the direction of Claudia's gaze, but her head was lolling around, as if her neck couldn't support the weight of it anymore. I glanced at Lenore who was still lying on the ground, staring at Claudia with terror in her eyes.
