From Shadowhouse Fall : A guttural howl shattered the stillness of the night. Sierra froze and looked around. Her friends were still running. They hadn't heard it. The terrible sound trailed off, and in the stillness that followed, Sierra wondered if she'd heard it at all. Then it came again, louder this time, and Sierra dropped to her knees with shock. It was inside her, relentless and mournful. She had to get that card. She was up and running before the second howl finished. She bounded past her friends, the shadow spirits carrying her along like an impossible wind. They lifted her up and elongated each stride until she was fast-floating across the dark park. And then she was back at the small clearing where Mina had been standing just a few hours ago. Sierra's heart went into overdrive as she gaped at the empty spot of soil where the card had been. "Make a circle facing outward," she called when she heard her friends arrive. "Get ready to 'shape. Something's coming." They complied without a sound, and Sierra dropped to her knees and rustled some of the fallen leaves around, trying not to let the tremble she felt inside reach her fingertips. She grazed something stiffer than the crinkly leaves, grabbed it, and then let out a grateful sigh. "Got it!" she yelled. "Good," Tee said. "Cuz whatever it is is here." Excerpted from Shadowhouse Fall by Daniel José Older All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
