I gulped fresh air in the back yard. I'd been so engrossed in my training I didn't even realize it was full dark until Erica was taken. I tried to get my head on straight while I struggled with my emotions.

Erica was gone. Celeste possibly dead. As much as I disliked the latter, I never wished anything of the sort on her. And as for Erica... she was my mom's best friend, my second mother my whole life. Yes, she bugged me sometimes and treated me like a kid. But she tried and I ...