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"Your grandmother went to church," a soft voice said fro a side table "Thanks"

Nana and I alent to church together I hated that I’d missed Especially since it probably seeain I hoped she wasn’t upset

I trudged tothe h the journal I expected to start by rereading what had already been decoded Instead, I found that every as once again hidden fro, I went through every page slowly, line by line, studying every sy

Must simplify the to-do list: Learn how to kill the zombie inside me without the journal Actually kill her

Where to start? My sister? Maybe she’d learned so another visit, I’d love to see you"

I had to wait longer than usual, but she did, eventually, arrive "Hey there," she said

I smiled at her "You came"

"I told you I’ll always co the ends of her skirt "You look better"

"Thank you"

"Sowhatcha doing?"

I lifted the book "Apparently our great-great-great-grandfather wrote a journal about zo Only he wrote it in some kind of code, and I can’t decipher it So I started to wonder whether you’d learned anything new"

"Not yet" She rubbed her hands together "But letover es and pouted with disappointenius mind and rub it in your face forever, but I can read the words no problees "How?"

"I don’t know I just can Everything just looks nor to me, then"

"Okayhow about there?" She pointed "The words are flashing at ? I nodded

"‘I’ve heard we need darkness to balance light,’" she read, "‘and light to balance darkness I say we have no need of darkness, period It confuses It hurts It tortures It ruins And really, darkness cannot reht will always chase it away Think about it We kill the zoht And they, the zombies, are the ultiuished for eternity’"

I let the words settle in ain Could ZA be killed by the fire the slayers produced? My fire? If so, if a slayer pressed his--or her--palainst my chest, would I die, too?

There was only one way to find out

Was it worth the risk, though?

"Want ht now" There was a tremor in my voice Crap I didn’t want her to knohat I was conteet back to ht as sone

Put-up or wuss-up time I eased to the foot of the bed and rested the backs ofwas fast, too fast, as a bead of nervousness rolled throughup steam

I was a slayer I could produce the fire

I could kill ZA

And maybe myself

Yeah, but maybe not

I closed my eyes to concentrate Before I could step out of ht bloomed, and I couldn’t shake it

Would Nana come in here and find a pile of ash, then blame someone else? One of the other slayers?

Should I leave a note?

Shaking, I scribbled a quick goodbye at my desk Did this to myself Love you so much Just in case Andeverything, but I didn’t want to take a chance I’d talk myself out of such a necessary action

Sowithout further ado, I forced my spirit to rise I looked at my hands, and willed the fire to co fingertips Not giving myself time to think, I turned and pressed those flames into my body’s chest Then I waited I watchedelse happened

Disappointed, a lot angry and just a little relieved, I dropped my arms to my sides

Why hadn’t that worked?

I rejoined spirit and body MaybeZA had left my body with me?

Would she always?

I had to find out But how?

Te, I stalked out of my room and hunted for Reeve I needed a distraction Only, she wasn’t in her roo antique chairs and tables, each surrounded by colorful vases and paintings of flowers The closer I got to hter I heard She was there

I reached the open doorway and ground to a halt

Veronica was in the process of teaching my friends how to defend the "Like this That hen you throw a punch, you won’t break your thuerly