"No she won't," Evan says as he scoops her up in his arms.
Avery closes her eyes and lets Evan carry her upstairs. Leonie's deranged laugh floats in through the windows, and Avery shudders. She can still see the hatred in Leonie's lifeless, hollow eyes. Avery groans and shakes her head, trying to forget the haunting image.
A sharp and sudden pain seizes her—it feels like her forehead is going to split open. Her hands fly to her face, and her body stiffens. She tries to open her eyes, but it only makes the pain worse. From far away, she hears a horrible, twisted scream. It takes her a minute to realize the sound is coming from her own mouth.
"Avery," Evan shouts. "Avery, what's wrong? Are you ill?"
She bites her tongue and forces herself to stop screaming. She squeezes her eyes shut and waits for the pain to pass. It vanishes almost as quickly as it came, and she forces her eyes open a crack.