The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 by Carissa Andrews (graded readers txt) 📕

to pull the wreath stand from its head. I bite down on my lip to avoid screaming out in pain, but it’s no use. The steel is embedded deep into the other side of the bone and refuses to let loose.

“Dammit,” I curse, twisting around to see if I can find another one—or at least something like it.

Unfortunately, being in the older part of the cemetery means fewer people paying their respects through decorations. The closest wreath stand, or anything moveable for that matter, is far beyond my ability to grab it and get myself back to help.

Making the split-second decision to head into the fray, I limp over as close I dare and yell, “Hey, this way—you don’t want him. Come here.” I wave my hands wide, trying to draw her attention my way.

The creature pauses long enough to look in my direction but doesn’t change its trajectory. However, the distraction is enough for Wade to plant a fierce kick to her wrist. With a deafening crack, the brittle joint severs, leaving her hand still clutched onto his boot but no longer attached to her wrist. Scrambling backward, he clambers to his feet and races in my direction, with the zombie seconds behind. She moves decisively, completely ignoring the fact that she has only one hand.

“Quick, behind that headstone,” Wade yells, pointing to a large piece of granite to my left.

The thing is massive, nearly as tall as I am, but it offers little in the way of protection. I have no idea what he thinks we’ll accomplish hiding behind it, but regardless, we both race toward it.

I hobble-run as fast as I can, but the pain is almost debilitating. As we come up on the tombstone, I skitter to a quick turn, and my footing gives out again. I plummet into the snow, rolling sideways in a totally ungraceful maneuver. Wade is nowhere in sight, but the zombie is on me in seconds, dropping to the ground as it latches onto my thighs with its leftover hand and stump.

Scurrying backward, I try to get far enough away so I can stand, but the creature claws at my legs, digging in and pulling herself farther up my body with her good hand. Biting my lip, pain tears through my right ankle from both the sprain and the bony fingertips as they bear down on my flesh. With my good foot, I rear up, kicking down as hard as I can at the place between her neck and shoulder. The momentum is enough to loosen her grip as she skitters down my leg and nearly falls off.

A loud, thumping sound reverberates through the otherwise-still cemetery. It starts off low, but then starts to grow louder until a grinding sound takes its place. Terror rises, as does a scream in the back of my throat, as I try to get upright and see what’s causing the sound.

Somewhere close by, Wade yells, “Get out of the goddamn way.”

Using all the remaining strength I have in my left leg, I plant another kick on the creature’s face and struggle completely out of her grasp. I no sooner pull back my legs than an enormous granite headstone comes crashing down onto the zombie’s outstretched form. The weight of it flattens her upper torso, severing her head from the rest of her body. It rolls forward unceremoniously and lands face-up in the snow.

Shuddering away the adrenaline, I scoot back another foot or two for good measure. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to break my gaze away from the severed head.

“How did you know that was going to work?” I say, clutching at my chest and sucking in large gulps of frigid oxygen.

Wade plops down into the snow, knees first, then drops onto his back, gasping for air. After a moment he says, “Years of watching way too much TV.”

I stay seated upright, scanning the graveyard for any more signs of moment. At first, everything is all calm and quiet, but suddenly, the dead body in front of me begins to turn a strange ashen color. Large chunks of it begin to break apart, disintegrating from the bone until all that remains is a pile of remnants that no longer resemble a human at all.

“What the—?” I sputter, narrowing my gaze.

Wade sits upright, instantly alert. “What is it?”

I outstretch my arm, pointing to where the zombie had just been. “It’s…gone. How can it be gone?” Shifting to my knees, I crawl on all fours to get a better look. I reach out and poke my index finger into the ashes and they continue to fade away, as if the molecules themselves are being erased from existence.

“How in the hell?” Wade says, suddenly by my side. “How is this possible?”

I shake my head. “Your guess is as good as mine. I’m in totally new territory here.”

“Can you see the other one? Did it disintegrate, too?” Wade asks, pushing up to a stand.

“I can’t see anything, so maybe it did. Help me up and we can go look together,” I say, holding out my hand.

Furrowing his brow, Wade grabs hold of my hand and yanks me to my feet.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but one thing I do know is, we have to get outta this cemetery before anyone sees the mess we’ve caused,” Wade says, frowning. “The last thing I need is more rumors. Besides I’d hate to have you dragged into all of the conspiracy theories.”

Scanning the graveyard, it only takes a moment to realize he’s right. There’s a large trail of disruption leading from the columbarium all the way to our location.

“Yeah, we better go. We’ll have to do some research when we get back to Windhaven. This is definitely not the place for specula—”

In the distance, my periphery catches movement and I home in on it. I squint, trying to get a better view, but I can’t quite make it out. Suddenly, the movement sweeps in front of the