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CHAPTER 33

Schuyler

Oliver tracked Schuyler and Jack to the bottoulated their location fronal on Schuyler’s phone, which was noorking since they were outside the isle Saint-Louis His costuo since he and Schuyler had stepped off of that bus Schuyler’s heart leapt when she saw him Oliver! Safe! Whole! This was more than she dreaed, and held each other close

"I thought you were dead," she whispered "don’t you ever, ever do that again Ever"

"I could say the same to you," Oliver said

He told them that after they had left the party, there had been chaos Leviathan and the Silver Bloods had begun to set fire to everything, scorching treetops and co itself It looked as if the ain But then Charles Force appeared and fought therounds Then they had disappeared It looked like they had all gone underground

"Yes," Jack said "Charles was leading thelom that the Silver Bloods can enter but can never leave A space betorlds"

"Limbo" Oliver nodded

"So what happened back there?" Schuyler asked, ree phenomenon they had experienced

Jack shook his head "I’m not really sure But whatever it was, I think Charles so and repair the wound Otherwise none of us would be standing here"

But Jack did not say what they all knew That while the Silver Bloods had failed, it had not been without a sone He never made it to the surface, and the catacombs were empty

"So is he dead?" Schuyler asked dully

"I’m not certain I think he’s just lost," Jack replied

"What will you do?"

"I don’t know just yet," he sighed "the Conclave is not what it was I don’t foresee garnering any help froot" Jack looked exhausted "What about you? What will you do?"

"Run," Oliver said fir"

"You can’t run forever, Schuyler The tremors, your sickness, you can’t hide it It’s part of your transforht doctor who can help you You’re only endangering yourself by keeping away I can vouch for you with the Conclave I will make them understand They will call off the Venators Trustalone anyht now, but ill regroup Come back to New York"

Come back to me Jack did not say it out loud, but Schuyler heard it loud and clear nevertheless

She shuffled on her feet The two boys stood on either side of her, both of them with their hands jammed into their pockets Oliver’s chin was almost at his chest, his head was bowed so low He couldn’t look her in the eyes Jack was looking at her directly, with that overpowering stare She loved the over them She would never be able to choose It was i, while Jack wanted her to go hoo back to New York; to stop, to rest, to recover, but she could not make the decision alone As much as she still loved Jack, and as ain, there was Oliver to consider Her gentle truehearted friend

"What do you think, Ollie? What should we do?" she asked, turning to the boy who had kept her safe for more than a year

CHAPTER 34

Bliss

It was the night before the first day of school It had been a week since Dylan appeared to her, and so about hi back and talking to her, telling her things she didn’t knohich never happened in a drea to her subconscious), and she finally decided that it was Dylan who to, or at least a version of him

She never knehen he would come back So would happen Other ti coffee or trying on shoes, and she would have to get out as fast as possible and find so her books for class She loved the slossy pages The start of a school year always pro back

"I liked it too," Dylan said, looking over her shoulder It startled her to see hi next to her, with a hand on her desk

"God! You scaredto the front you know I have to h now that you know I’m here it’s a little easier" He continued to look over her shoulder "What are you taking this year?"

"The usual A bunch of AP and honors classes I ht check out that Individual Art Study"