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CHAPTER 69

Schuyler

During the ride to JFK, Schuyler kept to herself

She was still exhausted from yesterday’s events, but there was no time to rest The documents Oliver had found, which he had been so excited about, were a se of notebooks that he had discovered in files kept by Christopher Anderson, Lawrence’s Conduit

Fifty-five notebooks detailing everything her grandfather had found concerning the Van Alen Legacy, and every possible lead The keepers of the third gate, the Gate of Promise, were most likely still in the city of Florence, which here they were headed now

Last night, when she finally ca for her in her apartment When she walked in, it took him a while to accept the fact that she was truly alive and standing in front of hied each other close, but Schuyler was still too distraught and confused about everything that had happened with Jack, to give Oliver much of her attention

She listened as he filled her in on what had happened to everyone else during the attack and the afterone to hide in the Force Tower, as they had been instructed by the Conclave They had all co?

The cab pulled up to the ters He had been quiet too, during the trip And he looked at Schuyler so intensely now, as if he were trying to memorize her face

"What?" Schuyler asked "Do I have so atto Florence," Oliver said as the cab pulled away "What do youto Florence" Schuyler said, just as Jack Force walked up to the terminal

Yesterday, Mimi had finally come back to the church, and had taken her brother away Jack had been too weak to speak when Schuyler saw the two of them off in a cab From the possessive way Miet a chance to say the things they wanted to say to each other anyway

There were no traces of the lost, broken girl that Mimi had been when she’d returned And Schuyler understood that the struggle for Jack’s heart was far from over Maybe she and Jack just weren’t meant to be, and the two of theh to know they had risked everything for each other Maybe the memory of their love was all that they were allowed She didn’t know She only knew that she had so much to do And if she had to leave Jack as part of it, then there was nothing she could do about it anyacy

But when she saw him, and they looked at each other, she knew she would never be able to leave his side He had recovered well; he looked tired, but then so did she They had been through a lot in the last twenty four hours

"You’re here," she sent "My love"

"I wouldn’t be anywhere else"

"I cae," Jack said to Oliver

Oliver handed hiest you guys get in there, security’s a pain these days Especially for international"

"You called hi on?" Schuyler asked

"I asked Jack toto Florence I asked hio with you"

"Oliver?"

"Sky stop," Oliver said "And don’t interrupt me, because I have to say this I know you would never leave me I know that I know you would never be able to o with hi with tears "Ollie"

"You cannot choose between us So I chose for you Jack can protect you in ways I cannot Yesterday, when Leviathan took you, I’d never felt so helpless in my life and I knew I knew I couldn’t be there for you, not in the way that he can" Oliver gulped "I would rather have you safe, whole, and alive than with o Before I change ht, Schuyler"

He never called her Schuyler, only when he was serious Or angry Or maybe a little of both This couldn’t be easy for him It wasn’t easy for her to listen to

"But what about you?" she asked "I marked you"

The Sacred Kiss would mean he would pine for her forever She couldn’t let him live the rest of his life that way

"I’ll be all right You’ll see I don’t believe in fatalism And you’ll call me, won’t you? Once in a while? I can still help you from over here I think I can, anyway But I know this is as htness of it and, like I said, I’" Oliver shoved the tickets into Jack’s hands

Schuyler pulled Oliver close and hugged hi o

"You’re welcome," Oliver said