Page 46 (1/2)

Gansey covered both his eyes with his hands He thought his brain was going to melt

Ronan, however, was in no mood for introspection, his or anyone else’s He ripped Gansey’s hands from his face "Sit in it! Tell me it’s any different!"

He pushed Gansey down into the driver’s seat and draped Gansey’s lifeless are before hi awheel and snatched a pair of sunglasses that were sitting on the dash

White, plastic, lenses dark as hell Joseph Kavinsky’s -- or maybe a copy Who was to say as real anylasses onto Gansey’s face and regarded him once more His face went somber for half a second, and then it dissolved into an absolutely wonderful and fearless laugh The old Ronan Lynch’s laugh No, it was better than that one, because this new one had just a hint of darkness beneath it This Ronan knew there was crap in the world, but he was laughing anyway

Gansey couldn’t help laughing along, rather one from such a terrible place to such a joyful one He wasn’t sure that the feeling would be so profound if he hadn’t braced every bone in his body for an argument with Ronan "Okay," he said "Okay, tell me"

Ronan told him

"Kavinsky?"

Ronan explained

Gansey rested his cheek against the hot steering wheel That, too, was coone without this car He was never getting out of it again

Joseph Kavinsky Unbelievable

"And what’s wrong with Cabeswater?"

Ronan shielded his eyes "Me Well, Kavinsky, actually We’re taking all the energy from the line e dream"

"Solution?"

"Stop Kavinsky"

They eyed each other

"I don’t suppose," Gansey said slowly, "that we could just ask hiotiate with Hitler"

Gansey frowned "Did he?"

"Probably"

Letting out a huge breath, Gansey closed his eyes and let the steering wheel cook his face This was hohts darted toward Adam, toward Blue, and rabbited away

"Hoas your party, h the open door "How’d Parrish do?"

Gansey opened his eyes "Oh, he brought down the house"

48

At about the salasses, Blue biked two neighborhoods over from her house She carried the Camaro wheel, the shield boss, and a small pink switchblade

She was decidedly uncoh she very ent, desperado; Blue Sargent, superhero; Blue Sargent, badass -- she suspected that the only thing she would cut the first time she opened it was herself But Maura had insisted

"Switchblades are illegal," Blue protested

"So’s crime," Maura replied

Criainst all reason, Henrietta had two of thely fearful citizens reported break-ins The accounts were conflicting, however -- sole s of five or six "That ly

She was skeptical of mainstream journalism

"Or all of them," Maura replied

"Did your hit-man boyfriend tell you that?"

Maura said, "He’s not my boyfriend"

By the time Blue parked her bike outside the ra sticky and unappealing The shaded lawn had no effect at all as she trudged across it to the door and rang the bell with her elbow

"Hello, lady," said Mike, the enorht

Calla He was as wide as Blue was tall -- which, in all fairness, was not very wide "Is that off a Corvette?"

Blue readjusted the pitted wheel beneath her ar block? 350?"

"Sure?"

"Nice, lady! Where’s the rest of it?"