Chapter Forty-Eight

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Mouth wasn’t happy. I could tell it by his wispiness. I could tell it by the way his mouth set itself into a firm line.

I didn’t care.

“Dolly, dolly,” sang the Tip-Toe Shadow, and he ran his long fingers down my hair, twisted them around my neck. They went around several times.

“Can . . . can you let Reed Taylor go now, please?”

I wanted to sound strong, but the feel of those dark fingers on my skin made my mouth go dry.

“Reed Taylor, where is Lydia?”

“There’s magic in the water.”

Reed Taylor’s voice but not his words. I reached for him, but the demon pulled us further away.

“No, dollies. Bad dollies.” He shook us, and I choked, grasping at my neck. Mouth clenched his fists but did nothing.

“Hey, knock it off,” I hissed as soon as I had my voice back.

The Tip-Toe Shadow giggled. “You want to talk to the puppet? Hear what the puppet has to say? Okay. Okay okay. Oh, it will make you cry. Big, soft, sad tears, and I will lap them from your face, and I will b