The Mirrored Shard (32 page)

We will come
, the Old Ones shrieked.
We will come and we will have your world. We will come and you will tremble at the sight of us. We
will
live again
.

“Someday I’m sure you will,” I said. “But this isn’t your time. It’s ours. Go back to the stars until the humans have vanished and the earth is yours again.”

It will not be so
, the Old Ones whispered, a sound a thousand times worse than their screaming.
It will be in your lifetime, Gateminder, and we will make sure you meet us face to face
.

I looked at the sky, which burned out as I watched, atmosphere going up in flames to reveal the vastness of the universe—not empty, but full of a million stars, a million worlds circling, a million other places that only I could visit.

“Come, then,” I told the Old Ones as I watched them unfurl their bodies and blot out those stars one by one. “I’m ready.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caitlin Kittredge
is a history and horror movie enthusiast who writes novels wherein bad things usually happen to perfectly nice characters. But that’s all right—the ones who aren’t so nice have always been her favorites. Caitlin lives in western Massachusetts in a crumbling Victorian mansion with her two cats, her cameras, and several miles of books. When not writing, she spends her time taking photos, concocting alternate histories, and trying new and alarming colors of hair dye. Caitlin is the author of two bestselling series for adults, Nocturne City and the Black London adventures.
The Mirrored Shard
is her third book for teens, and the final book in the Iron Codex trilogy. Look for book one,
The Iron Thorn
, and book two,
The Nightmare Garden
, both available from Delacorte Press. You can visit Caitlin at
caitlinkittredge.com
.