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"Why are we splitting up?" Paden sounded suspicious

"Ree needs to focus on learning how to use the power, and the rest of you have a lot to learn when it co to be teaching us how to fight Dark Ones?" Paden’s voice was tight and angry There was nofro he was supposed to kill

"Paden, I know it goes against the very nature of a Guardian to trust a Dark One I understand that But Roland has done ine for our cause He can teach you ive you the best tools to protect Ree You need to listen to hiht about what Sophie had said He looked over at Roland The Dark One was talking to Juliette and Melanie but smirked at Paden when he noticed his stare Ree just shook her head and wondered if this was really going to work

Paden finally nodded his consent but his expression ave hi sarden

Chapter 17

Ree could barely hold her eyes open as she stumbled toward her room She was utterly exhausted and didn’t think she wouldhow the energy could be s, and how you could use it to lay so like a spell It wasn’t really a spell, y soy to sense ey between objects

For the last hour she had practiced flinging the energy at bowling pins Sophie had set up around the garden That had left her exhausted She still found it difficult to use the energy fros or people Sophie had offered to let her use her excess energy, explaining that Guardians had an excess for just that reason Ree had gleaned so It was like trying on someone else’s clothes – they never really fit just right

She rubbed at her blurry eyes and looked up just in time to run smack into someone’s chest

"Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you" She looked up at Roland and gave hirabbed her shoulder to help steady her and turned in the direction of her rooet there just fine by y but she could find her way to the roo

"Don’t be difficult, Ree I’ht pass out on your feet" His usual suilt for sounding rude

"It’s just down the hall I don’t want to keep you" She tried to step past his never change," Roland said quietly as if thinking out loud Then he sighed dramatically "Just because someone offers you help, it doesn’t ed her shoulders "You’re right"

"See, that wasn’t too hard Now, fro"

Ree snorted and rolled her eyes "Don’t hold your breath Wait, do you even breathe?"

Roland laughed and started walking down the hall toward her roo it, she fell into step with him

"Yes, I breathe I don’t think it is a necessity, but itish brain could come up with in response

When they reached her room, he opened the door and motioned her inside She shook her head and walked in He stayed in the doorway and watched her cross to her stuff on the bed

"Uuess I’ll see you to for a moment, just looked at her with eyes full of eing hiding behind his blank mask, and it sent warm shivers down her spine

"Earth to Roland? Did you fall asleep standing up?"

"Actually, I don’t sleep very often I was just thinking" He gave her a small s his gaze back to hers "Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Eh? I guess at this point I think anything’s possible" Ree’s nose scrunched up as she looked at him a little closer That was coht "Why?"

"It isn’t i I was curious about" Roland traded his sh her door

"Oookay Well, goodnight then" Ree stood where she was and watched him with one eyebrow raised

"Sleep well, Ree" He pulled the door shut behind hi after hi weird," Ree whispered to herself

She locked the door, not wanting a repeat like yesterdayThe clock next to the bed said it was after two o’clock in the ed into the bathrooain shocked by the opulence of a room in which you basically spent as little tiain, with the Jacuzzi tub, steaht want to spend ot undressed for a shower The water ared between her shoulders She used the soaps that were in the shower since she had been too lazy to get her own out of the bag The steathened the smell of rosemary andand relaxing se, fluffy towels to wrap herself in, brushed her teeth, grabbed her bag off the floor, and headed back to the bedrooe, there was a knock on her door Tired and frustrated, she gripped the towel tighter and rily as she went to the door All she wanted to do was crawl in that big bed and fall into the oblivion sleep offered

"Who is it?"

"It’sthe door and looking at Paden "What’s up?" She motioned for him to come into the room He hesitated for a moment and then stepped in She closed the door behind him and turned to look at him

"Sorry, I didn’t realize I’d interrupted your shower"

"I just finished Everything okay?"

"Yeah I just wanted to check on you See how it all went"

Ree went and sat on the bed,from under her towel Paden stayed near the door, his expression unreadable

"It was tiring, but other than that I don’t really feel any different What about you? Does it feel different to be a Guardian? I ed at the word hus now I can hear so s I never would have been able to before Also, I can" He hesitated and ran a hand through his already-tousled hair "One of the reasons I stopped by before I headed to bed was to tell you so I noticed earlier I can sense you Like, where you are, and if you’re upset or hurt" He looked at her, his eyes wary as he waited for her response

She tried to keep the shock off her face "You can tell what I a?"

"Yes I , but I can feel if you are upset, or angry I knew you were frustrated while working with Sophie" He finally moved closer and sat in the chair next to the bed