Riza's ears were ringing; even for a professional, the sound of that much gunfire at such close range was painful. She didn't hear the creature explain how to kill it.

She stopped again to reload, and the bloody mess cried that it was just a cheerleader. Right. And Selim Bradley was just a little boy. Outside of a nightmare, Riza would have noticed the difference between the girl and the boy who had threatened her life, but in the dream the only fact that matter was Claire's infernal ability to regenerate.

So focused was Riza on the threat that she believed Claire presented that she did not notice that the deathless children had arrived until one attacked, biting deeply into her shoulder. She cried out, dropping her weapon.