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"Then let me dream I enjoy it" He walked across the kitchen and opened so "Here is the money Go early, before she wakes See your friend William while you are out"

Aware she could be discovered eavesdropping, Jessa silently retreated back to the bathroom, where she showered and considered what she would do

Roould have to leave through the hatch door Jessa hadn’t yet found, and since she believed that was the only way out it was i Rowan had been waking at six ao at five aet up earlier than that--four ae point near Rowan’s bedrooirl as she left in the ht even have a chance if she were careful to see how to open the fire doors, and possibly folloan up to the surface

The sole drawback was the fact that she hadn’t yet been able to search the library, where she was convinced Matthias was keeping whatever records he had on the Kyndred She needed to do that today so that she could leave in theup with an excuse that would allow her to spend at least an hour alone in the roo in the shower reht about everyof being with Matthias, but it was starting to get under her skin now So obsessed with him--and she was never hts and discovered she hadn’t noticed that the water of the shoas now running ice-cold

She dried off, dressed, and went in search of Matthias She found hi out with the stone disks she had seen during her first night of captivity As before, he didn’t stop lifting the heavy stones as he spoke to her

"You were a long ti two of the heaviest stones on the palms of his hands before he extended his arms forward and out "Do you prefer cold water to hot?"

"No, I just got a little lost in hts," she lied There was no way in hell she was telling him about the dream, ever, so she focused on the excuse she’d invented "I’ve been trying to keep an open mind and , would you let h all the books you have about the dark Kyn?"

"You cannot read Latin," he reminded her

She covered her dismay with a rueful smile "True, but you said soes I went to school in Europe, and I can read French, Gerhtened, and turned to her "You also said you do not believe in vareed "What I’d like to do is look through the books and see if there are any other clues as to what these people ht have really been" His expression seemed doubtful, and she added, "I know they mean a lot to you I’ll be very careful with them, I promise"

He studied her expression "Very well I will meet you in the library in an hour"

She eyed the stones "You lift those things for an hour? No wonder you’re so …" Embarrassed now, she stopped

"Ripped," he said "That is what Rowan calls it, even though I never tear anything" He put his hand to the center of his chest "It is good for the body and the heart" He picked up the smallest of the stone disks and offered it to her "Try"

"No, I’ve never lifted weights I’d probably tear so I prefer to swim to keep in shape" Jessa turned to hide her embarrassment and headed to the tunnel "I’ll see you in the library"

"Jessa"

She stopped

"If I could give you back your life," he said softly, "I would Even if there were no place forthe rush of eed from her heart He sounded so lonely she almost turned around and ran to hi on the last word as she left hiht to find herself alone in the bed Usually she was the first to rise at night, but since Bradford Lawson’s killing spree Lucan had been waking early and going out with the jardin trackers every afternoon They were hunting for the killer’s trail, sometimes until dawn, but so far they had been unsuccessful

Soht they went out, but Lucan wouldn’t tell her what it was

Sam didn’t like it, but she had her own priorities when it caainst Lawson It ht have been difficult to obtain the information she needed, but Kendrick had proved invaluable in that depart he delivered to her copies of police reports, witness statements, and preliminary autopsy results on all of Lawson’s victi I need How did you do this so fast?"

"We havethe local authorities as well as the FBI," he said "They will help us as much as they can"

Even Lucan’s tresora, Herbert Burke, would have been hard-pressed to assemble such a complete file "Could I bribe you to o to work for us?"