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"You used a soul spell on ured out the da for you, but I had to keep doing ht you back to esture toward the circle

"I had to have a reason to pull you back into my life If I’d showed up and said, ‘Hey, Ruby, I just want to take up where we left off, even though you seemed kinda pissed the last tiht, but he was also wrong, the saled with her wildly vacillating ee of his emotions over the past few e But then you co territory? I can’t stand the bitch, but she’s ht her shoulders, hauled her up to her toes "Stop it Love and hate, it doesn’t matter They’re all in the mix when it comes to the way I feel about you Yeah, I’ic and the way the Earth works, but when it co you, hurting you, that was all that er deflated at his weary, frustrated honesty His grip dropped, slid around her waist After a hesitation, he dipped his fingers back in under deniain When sheto stop hi his head, so she put her hand uncertainly on his chest as he traced the scar "What did he use?"

She didn’t want to tell hiive hiive hiht of day "A knife blade, heated by flame Then he… he used his belt buckle over it"

Derek’s eyes darkened Ruby wanted to look away, but couldn’t "You wanted hied him for it, most times Derek… I’o back to being what you want me to be"

"It’s not about that, Ruby If you hat you wanted to be, I’d feel it, know it, because I knoho you are I know your heart, girl; don’t you realize that? Your soul, too I knohat you like and don’t like, what htened "There’s an i I don’t know, but what I don’t know are the specifics I know the important part Youone, but you couldn’t turn away fro a little bit more of yourself to the Darkness every day

"Whatever that choice was, it was so important that you can’t turn your back on it, so all you can do is try to slow it down, keep the Darkness appeased and frouts out of your soul at an even faster pace You’re hanging froe, Ruby, and you don’t knohether it’s best to let go and have done with it, or keep hanging on"

He was so accurate, so dead-on right, words stuck in her throat But he wasn’t finished His blue gaze held hers, burning her down to her soul

"The reason I’ anywhere, is because I’e All you have to do is reach up, and I’ll take your hand and help you back up"

He gave her an ado so abruptly she swayed froave her a hard look "That’s your friend talking, the e froued, stubborn, aile…" He shook his head, unable to say it again

"He’s right about one thing You do need a guy with a strong hand, one whoPC or leave it in shades of gray So here it is, crystal-clear"

He jerked his head toward the drivehere Mikhael had disappeared "You let hioes for anyas I can tell from the look in your eyes, in your response to my touch, that your heart, soul,and chilling statement, one she didn’t doubt at all, he turned and left her

HE DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER STRIDING OUT OF SIGHT ONE one Ruby had no idea where he’d gone, but based on the e so for a while Hopefully so