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“Just jump You’ll never know unless you try” Mr To hole in the third floor of Ivy House, looking down at the cold emptiness below

He was trying to get me to jump out of the trapdoor that I’d first discovered alo when I visited Ivy House as a kid Staring down fro way back in the day, and at the ti s I wasn’t positive I had would snap out of my back and save me before I went splat

“Niaand tousled his stringy coray strands across his scalp As a protector of Ivy House, he’d gotten the strength and vitality of youth when I accepted the rowing back his hair I’d made that choice for hiar and Austin, by deciding to keep my own appearance, and I’d learned pretty quickly that it was a point of contention for some of the others Mainly Mr Tom

Thankfully, he didn’t mention it now

“Okay, but…” I shookdown there?”

“The house has put out a su that we support you in your training today It would require an incredible amount of willpower to resist or wander away She will circle until called off; Ivy House will make it so”

“Except…Austin didn’t show up”

“Yes He clearly has incredible willpower”

I shook rass and the sar, his arms raised

“He can’t possibly think he could catch h of a drop,” I murmured

“He’s not playing with a full deck of cards The th and prowess, but there is only so ic can do for the mind That vampire only has one oar in the water, so to speak”

As if Mr Tom could talk Tom wasn’t even his real name! He’d et started on his habit of na weapons and his absolute refusal to letto reality with nothing but his fingernails