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"And I will be given answers You cos, yet never told hi will be held Tell me, and I’ll tell him" Please, please, please

"I don’t have the information you seek" The witch never took a step, yet the distance between them was suddenly cut in half

Mary Ann raised her chin another notch "You’re lying"

"Am I?"

Yes, she had to be "Do you want us to die?"

"Maybe"

"Why?"

"You are friends with a vampire, a olf, both enemies to my kind, and a boy who draws us with a poe have never encountered before To echo your question, ouldn’t I want you to die?"

Her teeth ground together as her own strategy was used against her Tile, she supposed She forced her expression to clear, her tone to gentle "What’s your name?"

"Marie"

Mary Ann was surprised by the sioing to do everything we can to stay alive"

"As would I" Marie’s head tilted to the side, her study intensifying "Do you knohat you are, Mary Ann Gray?"

Hearing her own na "Me?" She laughed; she just couldn’t help herself "I’onon you? Are you kidding? I am not a va to drain me, and I won’t allow it" With every word, Marie’s voice sharpened

Drain her? What-- Oh Yeah "Drain" must mean "mute" in witch-speak "I don’t mute natural abilities, so you should be able to--"

"Do you purposelyatand leave a mere shell behind"

"No I’m not"

"Continue to lie to me, and I’ll cast a truth spell on you" Now the witch’s voice slashed "Never again will you be able to lie about anything to anyone Ever"

Could she really do that? Mary Ann experienced a wave of fury, of frustration and helplessness And with the e her up, so at you"

"Perhaps you haven’t yet realized what you are, then" Marie’s eyes narrowed as she backed away, heading into the forest Odd She was pale now, her beautiful tan visibly fading "If you return to town, I’ll assuht between them, she meant "You will assume correctly" Shut up Just shut up before she attacks!

Mary Ann couldn’t, though She would not be the weak link anymore

Marie disappeared behind the branches and leaves, and Mary Ann spun, quickly jetting inside the building To safety What had Marie meant by "perhaps you haven’t yet realized what you are"?

Riley ed his schedule to et to talk to hi

Doors flew open and kids raced into the halls Lockers creaked open and slah the crowd Great She’d missed first period entirely, and she had a test tomorrow Great Mr Klien, if he’d coht, would have done a review today Without that review, she would flunk

Schoolwork didn’t come easily for her She had to slave for every A, and slave hard, but she hadn’t been studying the past feeeks, her attention too focused on, well, staying alive Last test, she’d gotten a B Her first And the last pop quiz? Solid D Another hated first

She hadn’t told her dad yet When she did, he would flip Make that if she did She kept telling herself he was better off not knowing He had enough to deal with Besides, she would ace the next one and her overall grade wouldn’t be affected

Oh, as she kidding? As her peers headed into their next class, she finally admitted the truth She hadn’t told hi lectured, rounded And hey, maybe Marie really had cast a truth spell on her Now she couldn’t even lie to herself

"Hey, Mary Ann" Brittany Buchanan walked briskly down the hall, grinning, a paper outstretched in her hand Her chin-length red hair was the envy of every girl at school Well, not her twin sister Brianna’s hair was the exact saer "Glad I ran into you Riley asked me to take notes for you in Che the paper

"Yeah" The redhead sighed dreamily "I almost passed out when he spoke to me That boy’s voice is deep"