"Hey, Syd. Hey, Alison." Page's voice had a sticky sweet quality that turned my stomach. Not to mention she looked even worse in the daylight. Her skin seemed so pale and thin I could see the thick veins under it, bones jutting from her now skeletal frame. She vibrated with need, an aching emptiness, longing for connection, but I was heartless.

I would have kept walking if Alison hadn't forced me to stop by sheer body weight. She pulled against me, halting us right in front of ...