I inched toward Era while her gaze was averted. A cat cornering the mouse against a wall. But I didn't feel like a cat. Cats don't feel their prey's iciness snake its way all the way through their spines. With the microphone perched on the tip of my tongue, I ran my thumb over my lips to catch it, an innocent, perfectly normal movement if I'd had stray crumbs.

"Yeah, remember? I told you she was coming." Derek stood from the piano bench and shot me a grin over his shoulder. "I ...