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I he next day, Gillian tried to concentrate on nor unrested-had she had nightmares?-and desperately in need of distraction

All day at school, she threw herself into activities, chattering and laughing and keeping people around her,

talking about Christentle, keeping quietly in the background All the other students were

hyperactive with the thought of only two more days of school And by the afternoon Gillian had becoood spirits

"We don’t even have a tree," she said to David "And it’s five days to Christ my

mom out and buy one"

"Don’t buy one," David said, sht to a place I

know It’s beautiful, and the trees are free" He winked

"I’ll bring the station wagon," Gillian said "Lots of roo her es and dust off the plastic Christel about how to tell her mother about witches

She was still happy when she picked David up after dinner He seemed a little subdued, but she wasn’t

in the mood to ask questions Instead, she talked about the party Steffi Lockhart was giving on Friday

night

It was a long drive, and she was running out of speculations about Steffi’s party when David finally said,

"So here, I think"

"Okay I’ll take one of those" Gillian pointed at the sixty-look-alike fern trees that lined the road

David smiled "There are some smaller ones farther in"

There were soAt last, she settled on a balsa out her skirts It onderfully aroed, half carried it to the car

"I just love that sloves are ruined"

David didn’t answer He was quiet as he tied the back of the station wagon closed around the tree He

was quiet as they got in the car and Gillian began to drive

And Gillian couldn’t stand it any in her sto all night"

"I’uessI was just thinking about Tanya"

Gillian blinked "Tanya? Should I be jealous?" He glanced at her "No, Icascaded over Gillian, and in that ed forever She see stillness "What about her arht somebody would’ve called you They took her to the hospital this afternoon"

"Oh, ht was a rash was necrotizing so bacteria"

Gillian opened her mouth, but no sound came out The road in front of her seemed very dim

"Cory said she can’t have any visitors-her arm swelled up to three times its normal size They had to cut

it open all the way froht lose her finger-"

"Stop it!" A suppressed scream

David looked at her quickly "I’m sorry-"

"No! Just don’t talk!" Gillian’s auto the car She was hardly aware

of anything outside her own body All her concentration was fixed on the draoing on?)

(Of course I heard it) The voice was slow and thoughtful

(Well, is it true? Is it?)

(Look, let’s talk about this later, all right, kid? Let’s wait-)

(No! Everything with you is "Wait" or "We’ll talk about it later" I want to know right now: is it true?)

(Is what true?)

(Is Tanya that sick? Is she about to lose her finger?)

(It’s just an infection, Gillian Streptococcus pyogenes You were the one who put it there)

(You’re saying it is true It’s true I did it withbacteria) Gillian threw the

thoughts out wildly, disjointedly She couldn’t really grasp what it allDavid It was necessary)

(No! No! You knew I didn’t really want to hurt her What are you talking about? How can you even say

that?) Gillian was in hysteria again, a strange hysteria of the , that fences and trees were flying by Her body was sitting in the car,

breathing quickly, speeding, but her real self seemed to be in another place

(You lied to ht Why did you do that?)

(Calonfly-)

(Don’t call me that! How can you just-just sit there and not care? What kind of person are you?)

And then-Angel’s voice changed He didn’t get hysterical or agitated; it was much worse His voice

became cal justice It’s what angels do, you know)

Icy horror swept over Gillian

He sounded insane

"Oh, God," she said, and she said it out loud David looked at her

"Hey-are you okay?"

She scarcely heard hi with fevered intensity: (I don’t knohat you are, but you are

not an angel)

(Gillian, listen to ht I love you-)

(Then tell me how to fix Tanya!)

Silence

(I’ll find out o back to Melusine-)

(No!)

(Then tell el!)

A pause Then: (Gillian, I’ve got an idea A way toabout?)

(We need to give him a near-death experience Then he’ll be able to truly understand you We need to

blurred Gillian knew they were nearing Somerset, they were on familiar streets But for a

"Gillian!" A hand was on hers, a real hand, steadying the wheel "Are you all right? Do you want me to

drive?"

"I’et hoet to that shoe box and fix

the spell on Tanya soet hometo safety

But nowhere was safe

(Don’t you understand?) The voice was soft and insidious in her ear (David can never really be like you

until he’s died the way you have We have to ain "Stop talking toat her "Gillian-"

(I don’t want to hurt you, Gillian Only hiht be a little different

But he’ll still love you)

Different David’s body Angel wanted David’s body As David left, Angel would take possession

They were alet

away fro that’s in your own o, Gillian Let me take over I’ll drive for you I love you, Gillian)

"No!" She was panting, her hands gripping the steering wheel so hard it hurt The word came out jerkily

"David! You have to drive I can’t-"

(Relax, Gillian You won’t be har wheel The voice seeh

her muscles She couldn’t take her foot off the accelerator

"Gillian, slon!" David was yelling now "Look out!"

(It will only take a second)

Gillian’s world had been switched into an old-ti black-and-white kind With

each fraer It was happening very slowly, but at

the sa oh-so-slowly toward that pole, and they were

going to hit On the right side of the car, where David was sitting

(No! I’ll hate you forever)

She screamed it in her mind and the last word seemed to echo endlessly There was time for that

And then there was a loud sound and darkness