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I’d watched her drink Sebastian to the brink of death night after night in Athena’s temple I’d watched her tempt him with the blood of one servant after another And I’d watched Sebastian, changed and blood drunk, hanging with Zaria and Athena like they were old friends Or more

Numbness settled intothe low oak branches that stretched over us creak

"It was Zaria," I echoed with a sharp laugh That’s who Gabriel was talking about During our entire conversation back at the house, Sebastian had neglected toDid she have so to tell ain?"

He didn’t answer, and I wasn’t sure if he knew the answer himself He’d had several opportunities to confide in h it was a secret As though I wasn’t part of his life Well, to hell with that To hell with hi past hiry, part of , call ive me some kind of explanationBut he never did

ELEVEN

HE WATCHED HER WALK AWAY, her long stride eating up ground, widening the space between theotten far, but it seemed like a canyon had opened up between theernails cut into his palo after her But his body wouldn’t move

How could he make aone through his s And all he’d wanted to do afteras drown out the randmother’s to feed For the first ti of blood Had he been attracted to his donor? No Had he wanted more from her than her blood? No Well, , who could say? He wasn’t sure He’d been lost in a world of euphoria

Afterward, it had felt so daer and confusion sent him ho his ht and wrong

Ari had gone pale at Zaria’s name Asshole that he was, he didn’t elaborate on Zaria’s appearance at the council ain Maybe he wanted Ari to see that he was different now He wasn’t the kind of guy she should be interested in at all She was right before She deserved better Soht to hold her, kiss her, or care about her--not when he was like this

How could she accept what he hat he had to do to appear noroddaiven her a choice He was rabbed the iron bars behind hiroaned, he reared back The iron bars were bent He was so et that

Shoving away from the bars, he decided to head over to Café Du Monde Maybe a coffee would settle hi’son to the door, as though afraid to step outside She glanced behind her nervously, and Sebastian knew she’d snuck down the stairs

He waited

"There’s a e for you, too"

Goose bumps pricked his skin

He crossed the street, every nerve leaping to life She leaned in close, then glanced left and right before whispering, "Wake me up Wake me up, and I’ll set you free"

Zoe’s words made the hairs on the back of his neck electric A shudder went through hi back upstairs

TWELVE

I AVOIDED EVERYONE IN THE house when I got ho to take the vial of Athena’s blood froainst the wall Instead I dropped to the floor, trying to work through my emotions with push-ups, then sit-ups and crunches, followed by lunges For an hour, I worked my body But I couldn’t seem to turn off my brain no matter how hard I pushed h

Aggravated, I changed into shorts, pulled on my sneakers, strapped on my blade and firearm, and headed out for a run I’d run until I was too dah several blocks before slowing to a steady pace Soon the constant strike ofwere the only things I heard in my head By the time I made it back to the house,drink in the kitchen, I went upstairs, using the railing to pull myself up the steps, and into the shower

After, I stared at the cracked lass A soleirl who didn’t knohat the hell she was doing I tried to put Sebastian from my mind, pulled on le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>