Page 93 of Mountain Void

You have to get Théo to safety.

She opened the door a crack. The wind assaulted her. Outside wasn’t safe, but it was safer than here. Outside, they could hide and wait for Lorenz to come for them.

He would come for them.

The thought strengthened her resolve.

“Zip up your coat, Théo. It’s cold out there,” she said, taking off her hat and pulling it over the boy’s ears.

She didn’t turn to look back at Lorenz.

She couldn’t.

If she looked and saw Lorenz getting hurt—

Focus on Théo.

Keep him safe.

Charlie wedged the wooden door open. The darkness—and the wind—rushed out to meet them.

“Look at me,” she said, and this time her teacher voice didn’t come naturally. She had to force it, thinner than she would have liked. “Théo, look at me. You’re going to follow me.”

His eyes snapped to hers, wild with panic. “Outside?”

“Take my hand,” she whispered quickly, tightening her hold. “It’s just wind.”

Just wind.

She pulled him forward, feeling her heart shatter in a million pieces as the door shut behind them.

The wind bit into her skin like the sharpest needles. She pulled the boy to her side.

It had gotten darker while they’d been inside. Not quite night yet, but the threat was there, and the temperature was dropping fast.

Charlie suddenly realized how woefully unprepared she was for this.

We can’t be here when night falls.

But they also couldn’t stay on the porch. Because if something happened to Lorenz—

Nothing is going to happen to Lorenz.

She had to believe that, or she wouldn’t be able to take the first step off the porch.

“I’ll go first,” she said. “You step where I step, okay? And keep hold of my hand.”

Théo nodded bravely.

“You’re doing great,” Charlie said breathlessly. She focused her efforts, one foot in front of the other, her boots sinking further into the snow than they had just a short while before.

They’d only taken a dozen steps when the door opened, light spilling right onto them.

Charlie whimpered, stumbling in her rush to get in front of the boy, until she recognized Lorenz. He was holding tightly onto the door, as if his efforts could hold it upright.

Or as if the door were holding him upright.

Blood pooled down the side of his head. So much blood.