colin sat down across from us with his elbows leaning on his knees . `` yes , '' i lied , without even pausing to think about it . their curse had turned their skin a pale , frosty hue and their eyes hard as icicles . he backed her up to the wall and shoved her arms above her head . and then he sent me out to do his dirty work . everything that happened seemed to be happening to someone else . `` funny how these things work out . 