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Jere his other with the staff pointed at erous You need to listen to randfather" scowled at me, and released her He came closer, and whispered in my ear "I have no quarrel with you personally, boy But you are interfering inon here than you could possibly understand"

I tried to speak, but my vocal chords suddenly locked up

He shook his head "Not another word, do you understand? Now, leave Ivy alone, and stay out of my way, or I will finish you off Nod if you understand"

I wanted to glare at him I wanted to tell him he’d already tried to kill me and failed I wanted to remind him there were hundreds of eyes on us at this very, and all I wanted to do was cry, too She probably hated me now And I’d been so close--so damned close to--" My vision blurred with tears I nodded

"Good boy," Jerehts went out

Chapter 41

"Justin?" said a calm voice "Are you alive?"

My eyes flinched open and found a serious gray face looking at me "Cinder?"

He nodded "We waited for so had happened to you, and found you passed out here"

I looked around, and saas lying on the lawn of a fraternity house Several other prone figures lay nearby, erasped in their hands "How long before you foundthe house until now, it has been an hour" He held out a hand I took it, and Cinder hauled y, but otherwise none the worse for the wear "Let’s go to the house," I said Bitter anger and sadness filledto help ht back depression Jeremiah Conroy was always one step ahead of us Even if he had lived in the otten past the eavesdropping wards?

The minute we stepped inside the house, Shelton stor He looked up and saw me "What the hell happened with Ivy?"

"Jere’s going right today" Heroom where a silver plate covered the rune, presue of the arch floated above the table Shelton turned around "Bella and I scoured the arch for wards We found only one, but it’s a doozy"

"Can you re how et

Shelton rolled his eyes "And risk killing ourselves? Hell no"

"What do we do?" I asked "Just evacuate the place and let it blow?"

"I don’t think that’s an option anymore," Shelton said "In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s been no news about Dad’s death There’s also been no evacuation order"

I couldn’t stop thinking about Ivy or the look in her eyes when Jeremiah told her about my betrayal Fury superheated my blood when I pictured hi For ruining the fledgling relationship withatto help htliss" I dropped into a chair, ht back the tears "She told"But she thinks you’re evil"

"We connected soether "We connected" I couldn’t hold it off anyo," I said, and raced froed from the foyer as I crossed the den Dirt covered Elyssa from head to toe She looked tired and unke from her dirty Templar arht I’d ever seen

We ht to hers She let out a little roan, and my worries seeether, s at each other

"I hts of Ivy away

"I didn’t even wait around for the ending cereot to the closest arch and took it straight here" She smiled "Nobody wanted to stand near hed "You were a bit ripe"

She kissedabout you I couldn’t stop thinking about howwould be without you, and how stupid it was of me to leave you for the Cho’kai"

"I wanted you to do it," I said "You’re strong and independent, and I love that about you"

"If Meghan hadn’t given you that potion, I never would have gone," she said, looking with dis, Justin Are you sure the potion is working?"

"Yes But getting the crap beaten out ofnoise "I’onna let that happen any"