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"Uh" Julia giggled nervously "I think you better leave Ryder now LEAVE!"

He was out the door like lightning, Diry ghosts

The witch still made Jaeden uneasy, despite Ryder’s defense of her Jae knew the girl didn’t look like hts were slippery, vicious creatures who kne to get under the skin She sat stiffly in a chair by the hile Vil and Laila snuggled together on the sofa, ht over with her The reason why she was here et the answer they both needed

"You know you don’t have to be afraid of us," Vil’s serene voice suddenly penetrated her runted, "I’e blue eyes widened even further as she looked up and over at her Jaeden felt an unexpected twinge of guilt at the hurt she saw shi there

"I would never hurt anyone," she whispered

Vil shushed her, squeezing her closer, soothing her pain

Why can’t I shrug the guilt? Jae growled at herself, looking back at Laila The Midnight was still staring at her, and as their eyes locked Jaeden saw soiks that was intimately familiar Familiar because that haunted look had once reflected back at her every tiazed into a mirror Ryder’s voice echoed in her head

I’uy, and Laila… well she won’t tell anyone, including Vil, what happened to her back at that cah to make her hate them

"Can I speak with Laila alone?" she suddenly asked, standing over the two of the her warily "I don’t think so"

"I’ to hurt her"

"No, she-"

"It’s OK" Laila placed a placating hand on his arlanced at her sharply

"You are sure?"

"Yes"

"OK I’ll be down the hall if you needlook before he left

She settled on the ar Laila, who had moved back a little froik shook her head "I don’t talk about it"

"If I’ed helplessly "It was just a camp"

"Under Ethan’s control?"

"Yes"

"So" Jaeden searched for the right phrase "It was like special ops?"

"What is… special ops?"

"You know, like a governned to let’s say win a hen nor as nicely as one would like"

Laila snorted, her ethereal face twisted in disgust It was the ative emotion Jaeden had seen her emit "Yes You could say it was this special ops you speak of"

A moment of silence fell between the her next question She blew out a shaky breath, her voice going husky as her own h her "Did it involve torture?"

The witch’s mouth fell open in surprise, her eyes round with torment "Why?"

"I’ll take that as a yes then"

Laila shook her head "I don’t I can’t I-"

"I’ve been there, Laila," Jae whispered, not even sure why she was telling the girl soht be the only way to get infore He torturedface crumpled in empathy and she reached out to place a cool hand on Jaeden’s wrist She was surprised by the gesture, for Laila had only allowed Vil near her since their arrival As her hand withdrew fro a war back into the sofa, she sht "Is that what happened to you?"

The girl nodded rigidly

"Why?"

A tear slid down her pale face "It was a behavioral iks from all over I come from Halmstad, but others came from Grena, Oslo all over Scandinavia He told our parents he was going to train us to be an elite force It was an honor to be chosen Instead, he used all , all to turn us into an elite force that would only answer to his command, no matter the order"