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But

On the sixth day, I began to feel ZA stirring She was angry Hungry Deter ht leash, and it costme to the bed

Reeve recovered from the trauma first, and that hen her father pounced

He strode into the roo about his audience, he said, "I’ a word until I’m done" He waited for her to nod before he continued "I want to send you abroad I never wanted you to knoas going on here, didn’t want you to live your life in fear and danger--"

"I’ to tell me the zoritted out "But I don’t want you around the people who fight in the war They’re targets Magnets If you’re here, you’ll cave and hang out with them Then, as you see the injuries they receive, you’ll start to fear and stop living your life"

"I’ve seen the injuries, and I’uys carry a huge burden, and I need to step up and take on my share"

I lay on my side, and Kat, who had thequiet, listening to the conversation over the beeps and hums of medical equipment

"What can you do?" Mr Ankh demanded "You can’t see the monsters"

"Neither can you, and yet you irl with two ar orders to assist the doctor tending to the slayers"

He shook his head "The zoiven the antidote," she sniped "Look, Dad I’ to help the cause whether I do it here or so you can stop I caused the mess we’re currently in Me And I want to make amends I need to make amends"

"No, you--"

"Dad," she insisted "We both know the truth I’ve been spying on everyone, trying to figure out what’s going on and why the people I love, the people who profess to loveto eI learned I caused this"

His shoulders drooped, and he scrubbed a hand down his face

I yawned,heavy

"If you want to stay, stay," he said softly "If you want to help, help But you will not go near that boy" There at the end, his tone had hardened "Do you understand me?"

Reeve scowled at hiritted "You’ll not go near him"

"Why? Why do you hate hiht of you with hih for you, honey You haven’t read his file, and you don’t know his past or the trouble he’s been in, the things he’s done or the things he’ll do"

Her smile was sad "And I don’t care I know the boy he is now, and that’s all that matters to me"

"Reeve--"

"No! I’m not Mom I didn’t understand her breakdowns before, or what they did to you, but I do now I get it But you don’t get to control this part of my life And if you try to punish him and the slayers because I want to be with him, then you will lose me I will move out And who do you think will be there to takemy jaw My eyelids drifted closed, and the rest of the conversation faded frooing to win ZA’s voice filled ed to build

I wanted to reply, but there was a strange fog in ," Kat said

"Yes," Cole said "She sleeps all the tie it

"I’m worried about her" Kat said "I’ve never seen her look sofragile"

Were they talking aboutto lose her"

Nana was here, too?

If Cole replied, I missed it

I wasn’t sure how hdissipated I pried open one, I realized Kat and Reeve were asleep Cole was next to me, his eyes closed He absently stroked my scalp

I sht about the journal The answer Light Fire Clearly, he was a light to me Just as clear, I burned for hiure it out, and fast Ti out