Only the heightened adrenaline coursing through Ella’s veins saved her. The second the creature lunged at her, she shoved Izzy as hard as she could out of the creature’s reach. Together they plunged to the floor, Izzy slamming onto the cold surface first with a sickly crack.There was no time for Ella to check her stepsister for injuries. The creature, which until seconds before had been a living being, had stumbled but remained upright. His blank yet somehow lascivious gaze was no longer fixed on them. It was now directed at the other guests, who were all inching backwards, still unaware of the mortal danger they were in. And then he pounced, jumping five feet in a perfect arch, at a young woman who had no time to anticipate the attack.The woman screamed as the creature’s teeth sank into her neck, penetrating the jugular. Blood spurted out, soaking her dance partner, who could only look on in dazed incomprehension.That was the moment panic finally set in with the crowd. It was impossible that everyone had seen what just happened, but the fear from the few close enough to witness it swept through the guests like a contagion.Ella watched in horror as hundreds of people, men and women alike, all rushed towards the double doors, the only exit from the ballroom.“Wait!”
