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There were sounds of stirring in the back of the house Marisol’s parents Rob glanced that way, then back out the

"We’ll have to get to her soet her out of there"

"Get her out," Anna said quietly It wasn’t a question, it was a confirmation

"We have to," Rob said "I don’t knohat she has into work Not in that house of lunatics They’re dangerous They’ll kill her"

"I came to see you," Kaitlyn said, andit

"It’s true Look at hts I ca a chance But she had come to see him, that much was true, and after he’d just saved her life she was genuinely glad to see hi he wouldn’t search below the surface, because that wouldfeeling he didn’t want that

He was looking at her hard, his gray eyes narrowed against the light Beautiful north light, slanting around the even Gabriel look golden and waruess how it made her look

Gabriel dropped his eyes His psychic senses had brushed her"So you came to see me," he said

"I’ve missed you," Kaitlyn said, and that was also true She’d linted behind his eyes and his strength in the web "I want to join you"

It was such a whopping huge lie that she expected to feel the alar off in his head But he’d withdrawn hisand veiled himself He wouldn’t even look at her properly

"Don’t be stupid," Gabriel said, in a voice suddenly gone weak

Kaitlyn saw her advantage and pounced "I did I decided last night I don’t like Mr Z, but I think sos he says are true We have infinite possibilities-we just need room Freedom And we are superior to other people"

Gabriel seeo in for that stuff"

"Why shouldn’t I? I’ I want to be with you, and I want power What’s wrong with that?"

His -only you don’t believe it"

"Testwith the risk "Gabriel, I didn’t knoe had together until you left I care about you" This was it, the time to see whether she was true Hollywoodhim "Believe me"

If he wanted, he could reach into her mind and rip the truth out Her thin shields wouldn’t hold against him

But he didn’t try to probe her brain He kissed her instead

Kaitlyn surrendered to the kiss deliberately-she knew she had to, and she felt a flash of triuood A star is born!

Then the triuer and deeper Soether, he was holding her as hard as she was holding him

Electricity seemed to arc between them Everywhere they touched Kaitlyn could feel the sparks His hand tangled in her hair, and she was frighteningly ers worked His lips brushed against hers again and again

An ache was starting inside Kaitlyn They were together, together, so close, and she wanted to be closer

A treht His fingers were on the nape of her neck

A flash of light-it was beginning The sparks beco a blue-white torrent In a y would flood into hi-but she couldn’t Their minds would be open to each other She would have no shields-he would see everything

Kaitlyn tried to pull awaybut it didn’t work He was holding her and she couldn’t seeo of him She didn’t have the will-and in a e door roared to life

Kaitlyn ju at a house near them Kaitlyn took theto life around theht The door to another house was opening; a cat was running up a ay No one had noticed the tall boy standing in the street kissing a girl, or the cruure at their feet

"But they’ll see us in a o"

They walked quickly At the intersection, Kaitlyn looked at hio there?" He looked doubtful, but not contemptuous as before She’d convinced him

"I want to be with you"

Gabriel was confused Confused and vulnerable- there was soile in his eyes "But-I hurt you"

"You didn’t want to" Kaitlyn was sure of that suddenly She’d thought so before, but now she was sure

"I don’t know," he said shortly "I don’t know anything anyet about it" She could tell he was still bewildered, but she figured that was probably good

The more off" balance, the less he’d be likely to analyze her She was still dizzy and bewildered herself fro myself into?

She decided to think about it later

"Is Joyce still running things?" Joyce Piper was the woman who’d recruited them both last winter- who’d iti she was as bad as Mr Z

"If you can call it running things She’s supposed to be in charge, but-well, you’ll see"

Kaitlyn felt a surge of victory, suppressed it He wasn’t arguing any she’d co to do it, she thought She suddenly realized that it onderful good luck that she was arriving with Gabriel He was going to help her iht, stand tall, walk tall She held her head up The first time she’d come here she’d been overwhelmed by anxiety Worry

about her new roommates-would they like her, would they accept her? Now she had s to worry about, but she had a purpose She knew she looked cool and confident, al and pulled out Marisol’s sunglasses Put thelanced at her "Those new?"

"Well, I don’t figure Marisol needs them anymore" She saw him raise his eyebrows at her new hardheartedness

The Institute was purple Well, of course she remembered that, but it was still a shock to see how truly purple it was A wild thrill of hoh her

"Come on," Gabriel said, and led her to the door It was locked He rattled in exasperation

"I forgot the key-"

"What about your new talent for breaking and entering?"

But the door opened Joyce was standing there, her short blond hair slick and wet She earing a pink sweater and leggings

As always, an aura of energy surrounded her, as if sheinto action at anywith life

"Gabriel, where have-" She broke off, her eyes widening She’d seen Kaitlyn

For a moment they just stood and looked at each other Under her cool exterior, Kaitlyn’s heart was pounding She had to convince Joyce, she had to But she could feel the waves of suspicion radiating from the blond woman

Once, Joyce had fooled her, had fooled all of them

Noas Kaitlyn’s turn Kait felt just like one of those Federal agents infiltrating the Mafia

And you knohat they do to theentle and persuasive

Joyce didn’t even glance at her "Gabriel," she said in a grating whisper, "get her the hell out of here"

Kaitlyn stared at Joyce in dis in her ears, and she couldn’t speak

Gabriel saved her "Wait until you hear what she has to say"

Joyce glanced froet the crystal shard?"

"I couldn’t find it," Gabriel answered without any discernible pause "They have it hidden someplace else

But what difference does it ether and threw a glance behind her, as if worried she’d be overheard "The difference is that he’s going to be here tonight, wanting it"

"Look, are you going to let us in or not?"