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She’d forgotten sohis reaction, it caly when he finally spoke, his husky tone taking her breath

"What’s her name?"

"I wanted to call her Rose Because she was perfect, just like a rose"

He sed, his voice thickening "Ruby and Rose My girls"

She was crying now, too, silent tears coursing down her cheeks as oneher fingers, she took it away, a treasure so full of power that it was as ic as what she’d spun in here When he looked down at her, so painful, like a boulder rolling off a vital organ, letting it function for the first tiht be at using the squashed thing She couldn’t deny the Dark part of her was still on maxiret and pain out of her voice

"You weren’t here when I needed you I couldn’t forgive you that, Derek That’s what I told myself I wanted to punish you I blamed you But the truth is none of it’s your fault I just wanted it to be I wanted it to be someone’s fault, because otherwise I had to face the truth That it was mine"

"What?" His brow furrowed "Ruby, there’s no--"

"Yeah, there is First thing you ever taught me was that any level of power, even if it’s just the power over self, over the choices you make, is a responsibility you can’t abdicate to anyone else Or blame anyone for If I hadn’t been afraid of the power, if I’d e how to use it from day one, she’d be alive I should have reached out to Raina and Ramona for help, even if I couldn’t reach you"

Chapter 18

THOUGH IT HAD BEEN DIFFICULT TO TURN HIS GAZE from that orb, her pain was palpable, and that pain echoed in his own chest Derek faced her fully, laid his hands on her fragile shoulders, shoulders that had borne so aze up to his face

"Ruby, I’ve fought the Dark for centuries And every tih, I blamed myself It’s an irrational truth that has a very vital purpose It er, more clever, to defeat our obstacles as often as we can But the rational truth is this: Noor clever I am, I will continue to lose people, because sometimes, some days, evil and Darkness win It’s a balance of its own Yes, you should have reached out That was a mistake"

He touched her chin as her eyes darkened with pain "It’s a difficult one to face, but it doesn’t surprise e to see that truth" Now his voice hardened, and froerous flash in his eyes "However, As the life of your child, an innocent who should not have been part of this fight at all It is his sin, Ruby, not yours"

Her lips gave a tre your teacher voice"

"Does it help?"

"So else was there, too A tender, vulnerable wisp of trust Shifting his grip, he ran his knuckles down the side of her face It was an effort, with everything that was in this roo specter of the future he knew she didn’t want to face-- but he tried to ease things up for both of the space

"With you, I wear a variety of hats Your skills are soreat deal of raer If you need and want a teacher to help you use it, the type of teacher your mother should have been for you, I can be that But it doesn’t le you, or who gets hard as a rock when I see you pull a colander out of the bottoleaed your mind Said you didn’t need the colander I had to put it back"

It didn’t surprise hiiven what had happened later that night He’d never eaten Mexican in quite that way Now he stayed silent, his brow lifted as he waited for that clever ether Her mouth bowed into a delectable pursed shape

"You didn’t need the colander at all"

"Sht needed a workout I was just helping put the stretch in the denih the strands of hair over his brow, shifted her weight "I’ve only ever seen you wear one hat How old is that thing?"