Flashlight meets temple in a sickening crack that gives, and the dead Beth goes down. Her face is wrecked and blue-gray with decay, but it's still the face of the girl Blue's just met. She's momentarily frozen; then Beth grabs her hand and runs.

She grips Beth's hand, leading as best she can toward High Gate Terrace, aware she's probably crushing the other girl's hand in hers and unable to relax. She doesn't stop at the building to check for dangers, just wants to get home.

Her mistake.

"Jane," the shadows call. A plea in Gansey's voice, trembling under a farce of calm. The buzz of hornets.

"Shit, shit-- keep moving," she urges. Just a little further. It's not real. The hum of huge wings and shape of alienlike bodies, only black - pitch black against the night - darts viciously at them from the side.

Blue hits a crack in the pavement and goes down hard, letting go of Beth's hand. "A block down turn right," she yells desperately. She can't let someone else get sucked in by these things, not again. "Keep going. I'll catch up."