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She got David’s room number from a receptionist at the front desk She didn’t ask if she was allowed to

visit

All Gillian could think as she walked down the hall was, Please Please, if David was only all right, there

was a chance that everything could work out

At the door she stopped and held her breath

Herher all sorts of pictures David in a conizable Worse, David alive and awake and s at her with violet eyes

She knehat Angel’s plan had been At least, she thought she knew The only question was, had he

succeeded?

Still holding her breath, she looked around the door

David was sitting up in bed The only thing he was hooked up to was an IV of clear fluid There was

another bed in the room, empty

He looked toward the door and saw her

Gillian walked toward him slowly She kept her face absolutely expressionless, her eyes on him

Dark hair A lean face that still had traces of a summer tan Cheekbones to die for and eyes to drown in

But no half-quizzical, half-friendly s at

hi unnoticed from his lap

Gillian reached the foot of the hospital bed They stared at each other

What do I say? David, is it really you? I can’t It’s too stupid, and what’s he going to say back? No,

dragonfly, it’s not him, it’s uy on the bed said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah" The word came out clipped and dispassionate "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, prettyher "You look-kind of different"

"And you’re kind of quiet"

So like hurt "I was well, you walked in

here looking so deadpan, and you sound socold" He shook his head slightly, his

eyes fixed on hers "Gillian-did I do so to make you want to hit that pole?"

"I didn’t do it on purpose!" She found herself lunging forward, reaching for his hands

He looked startled "Okay"

"David, I didn’t I was doing everything I could not to I would never want to hurt you Don’t you know that?"

His face cleared His eyes were very dark but very calely, she knew he did hi spite of all the evidence to the contrary, he believed her

Gillian’s hands tightened on his Their eyes were locked together It was as if they were getting closer,

although neither of the, what had started to happen at least twice before Feelings so sweet and

strong she could hardly bear it Strange recognition, unexpected belonging i

Gillian’s eyes seemed to shut of their own accord And then so She felt the

war arm and wonderful but there was more

It was as if the normal veil that separated two people had melted

Gillian felt a shock of revelation This hat it el had spoken to her about She

knew it intuitively even though she’d never spoken the word before

Soulmates

She’d found hers The one love for her on this earth The person she was meant to be with, that no one

could keep her froel It was David

That was the other thing she knew, and kneith a bedrock certainty that nothing could touch This

was David, the true David He was holding her in his ar an old gray sweatshirt and no s like makeup mattered

David was alive, that hat mattered Gillian didn’t have his death on her conscience And if they

could soh the rest of what had to be done, they just ined

Hoeird that she could still think But they didn’t see

each other now And that was alainst hers

Gillian pulled away

"David-"

His eyes were full of wonder "You knohat? I love you"

"I know" Gillian realized she was being less than romantic She couldn’t help it This was the tis, and I don’t know if you can believe ot to

try" "Gillian, I said I love you I mean that We-"

Then he stopped and searched her face He seeed his mind "I love

you," he said in a different tone "So I’ll believe you"

"The first thing is that I’ like what you think I’er or-or anything like that It’s all been-a sort of set-up And here’s how it happened"

And then she told hi, fro in the woods and

followed it and died and found an angel

She told hiel had appeared in her rooed her whole life About the whispering that had guided her ever since

And about the very bad things Her witch heritage The spell she’d put on Tanya The Night World All

the way up to the accident last night

When she was done, she sat back and looked at hiht to think you’re crazy But I don’t Maybe I’m crazy, too Or maybe it’s because

I died once, ht- and then the car skidded What happened?"

"When I was seventable-and I went to a place like that

h I felt that rushing thing co you

said came at you hi the end Only

it actually reached me And it wasn’t dark or scary It hite-beautiful light-and it had wonderful wings"

Gillian was staring "Then what?"

"It sent me back I didn’t have any choice It loved o back anyway So- zoom-back

down the tunnel, and pop, back into the body I’ve never forgotten it And, it’s hard to explain, but I

knoas real I guess that’s why I believe you"

"Then ot to do I don’t knohat Angel really isI think he ot to stop him Exorcize him or whatever"

David took her by the arms "You can’t You don’t kno"

"But uy Ash at the club He seeht The only

down side is that I think he was a vampire"

David had stiffened "I vote for the witch-"

"Me, too"

"-but I want you to wait for me They’ll let me out later this afternoon"

"I can’t David, it’s for Tanya and Kiht kno to cure the to ask her And I can’t let any o by"

David pulled at his hair with the hand that wasn’t hooked to the IV "Okay All right, give ether now"

"No"

He was looking at the IV as if figuring out how to undo it "Yes Just wait for me-"

Gillian blew him a kiss from the door and ran before he looked up

He couldn’t help her You couldn’t fight Angel in ordinary ways All David would be was leverage in

Angel’s hands-a hostage-soed out of the hospital and through the parking lot She found the Geo

Okay, now if Melusine would just be at the store

{You don’t really want to do this, you know)

Gillian sla at nothing, as she fastened her

seatbelt and started the car

(Listen, kid You ain’t never had a friend like ive me a break We can at least talk about this, can’t we? There are sos you don’t

understand)

She couldn’t listen to him She didn’t dare answer him The last tiive up control to hiain

But she couldn’t shut his voice out She couldn’t get away froainst it I’ht World

now-you’re not allowed to love a human If they find out, they’ll kill you both)

(And ere you trying to do to us?) Daain

(Not hurt you It was only him I wanted I could have slipped in as he slipped out)

Don’t listen, Gillian told herself Therehi

"DECK the halls with boughs of HOL-ly Fa la la lala"