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SOUL SUCK

What could I possibly say to Vivian, standing here in Lend’s kitchen? I was terrified And not just for ht Vivian right to theet her out, away from the people I loved "I--You’re here" My brain felt as frozen as ht

"Yeah, stupid I would have gotten here a lot sooner if you had just toldto her now that I couldn’t see her features I had to go by the tone of her voice She seeuess a faerie was blocking you" I had to get her to leave with me I didn’t knohat Lend would do now, but we couldn’t be in this house o?"

She laughed "Why? I’ve alanted to drain a faerie Plus, hey, I can show you how!" She knelt down next to Fehl "I wonder how long she’ll be out Well, forever now" She put out a burning hand, placing it on the faerie’s chest "I always hated her Her voice was like--I don’t know--like breaking glass"

I shook ht now! I ht? Let’s leave"

"Chill, Evie" She turned her face up to me and I could barely make out her eyes above the liquid flames "We don’t need to worry about the faeries anyether" She looked back down at Fehl "Man, she just keeps going and going If I had known faeries had this much to offer,It’s--Co to love it There’s nothing better, not in this whole sucky world"

"Please stop," I said, half sobbing I couldn’t help it As much as I didn’t like Fehl, I couldn’t stand there, watching her soul being sucked away

"Why?"

"Because--you don’t need to!"

Vivian shook her head, standing up "You don’t get it"

"No, I do! But, look, you said I’ht?"

She nodded "Killer dress, by the way"

"I haven’t taken any! I don’t even kno So there’s another way, there’s got to be, right?"

"No, there isn’t I already told you We don’t have our own souls I’ to stop, not now that I found you Do you kno long I’ve been waiting? Do you? Fifty years, that’s how long"

I was shocked She didn’t look older than twenty "You’re not--How?"

"Because of this" She held out her fla hands "How do you think? I would have burned out before I even hit adulthood So tell me, Evelyn, do you want to die?"

"No, I don’t, but I don’t want to take other souls just to live!"

"You don’t have any choice!" Her voice changed, went softer "What about your boyfriend? The one ht he carries around with hiht Do you knohat that means?"

I shook my head I didn’t want her to talk about Lend, to notice him He had to stay safe

"Thatto die Did you ever think about that? Your little boyfriend will last forever, and you’re going to snuff out like a stubby little candle So, you still too good for this?"

Lend was i the way David looked at Cresseda, that sorrow, that separation Would that be my role? Left behind? Or would I be dead, like Vivian said?