Page 37 (1/2)

And I realized what he’d thought without hi it I’d heard hiht that I’d died "I’h he could see ain as he crushed me to his side I ducked into his shoulder and hid there "I’m alive"

I heard his breath catch as he stroked a strand of wet hair behind my ear "We were supposed to --it was theI’ve ever done"

"I’ain

"I knehen I heard Nathaniel taunt you over the intercoo had that been? It hadn’t see shot at But so in here made him look older and e to make it up here after that," he went on "I couldn’t dare let myself think otherwise It would have wrecked rabbed o now?"

I hesitated

"I don’t want to die--but he’s still got people You heard therim

"Didn’t you hear the behindthe three people you left with What’s a few more?"

"Hal and Claire weren’t like that--"

"Let’s take a vote," he said, and then gave Rory a look It was clear he and Rory had already discussed things into be stopped by a plea for democracy?"

Asher’s eyes narrowed "Why does he want you--not me?"

I didn’t want to tell hihter died When ere alone together earlier, before the gunnant, and then said he wanted a child for a child"

Asher’s expression became e you needed to say to get "

"You knohat he’s capable of! How can you just leave them behind?"

"Look around you Thousands of people have already died here Who cares about a fewyou off this boat"

It truly didn’t ht, but what kind of life with hie that for me to be happy, we’d just let people die?

Wasn’t that kind of thinking what had gotten us here in the first place? I pulled back from him

"The Shadows made you pick this trip Because they knew they could use us to figure out as going on--and to punish us for disobeying them They say some of this is your fault" Asher looked stunned I moved closer to him and took his hand back "We’re different I love you with all my heart, but I’m not like you I can’t just leave the first"

Rory had been creeping backward, wisely trying to give us space But then the Maraschino swung and he rocked back as the ship did I saw hiistration table, and watched his fingers slip off the cold stone

He fell to the ground and slid like he was on a slip-and-slide, down the hall, to the other door where Asher’d been waiting foropen as he hit it and he flew out, just barely catching the doorjamb in time Behind hi on to the doorway

I started up--and so did Asher I caught his shoulder "I thought you didn’t care about adding a fewsecond I thought he ht actually do it, just to prove his point, even if it broke er crossed his face "God-fucking-daility He lowered hie of the spa and reached out for Rory Rory grabbed hold, and Asher pulled hiain safely inside

"Watch out, I won’t coain," he warned, and Rory nodded wildly

My sto the fixtures bolted to the spa’s walls for support I wanted to pretend it was because I orried about them, or e still had left to do, or the fact that this entire fucking boat was dropping into the sea, but I couldn’t Asher was too busy concentrating on handholds to see me I ducked behind the counter and pressed a hand to my stomach, hard "Stay in," I commanded my sto thrill tofrom the baby, but I added, "Please be the baby Don’t be a killer worm"

Asher pulled himself even with me "Other than storm in to our deaths, do we have a plan?"