Chapter 18

She looked at me as if she’d been waiting for me to say her name all this time. She nodded slowly, but remained crouched. I heard something move behind her in the woods, and then there was silence.

“Lily, Daddy’s here. I’m here, baby.”

Before I could say anything else, she lunged forward and threw herself upon me so forcefully, we fell over. I felt her embrace, powerful and feral, and held her as tight as I could.

“Dahhhhdeee,” she said in a keening voice that sent a chill down my back.

I clasped her shoulders and held her to take her in. She had grown long and lean in the year since I had seen her. Her naked skin was as pale as moonlight, but she was here, with me. Nothing else mattered.

I looked down at her and said, “Lily, let’s go inside and get you some clothes.”

She pulled away and looked at me, then over my shoulder at Ned.

“Whooooo?” she asked, pointing a long finger that ended with a sharp claw in Ned’s direction.