Dawn of the Dead

Prologue

“Dawn.”
I lowered my head and walked faster. Maybe if I pretended I didn’t hear or see
anything…
“Dawn.”
I bit my lip as my chest started to ache. It always felt like this. Always.
“Dawn.”
I hunched my shoulders against the feel of maggots crawling under my skin as the
tug of power grew. I. Didn’t. Want. To. Look.
“Dawn.”
I turned against my will. The bloody specter of a girl stood in the street, cars
passing through her shadowed form.
“Hurry, she’s dying,” the girl whispered. Her eyes were black holes of sadness;
the rank wind of death flowed from her shadow.
“What is the price this time?” My voice was harsh. But there was always a price.
Necromancy was dark for a reason.
“You will lose someone you love.”
I sucked in my breath, choking on a despairing laugh. The price was almost never
this high. “What is the point, then?”
“You will save someone you love.”
I froze. And then I ran.
It took three hours for them to pull my little sister, Christy, from the wreck. I got
there in time to save my mom—but the car had fallen on the passenger side, mangling the
door, and crushing Christy. My mom would have bled to death if I had not appeared
when I did. But Christy was dead. The specter had followed me all morning, calling me.
I had ignored her, not wanting to pay the price our interaction would cost. Never again
will I ignore their call. The price is too damn high.

Read Chapter 1