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"Speaking of, where is Izzy?"
Finley winced as she patted her bandage into place "She probably went upstairs already" We all said good night then, bringing an end to what ht have been the most bizarre twenty-four hours of my life (which said a lot) Aislinn told ging Mo to stay downstairs to finish her discussion with Aislinn-I trudged back up the di outside my door, a folder clutched in one hand "Hey," she said, sounding a little sheepish
"Hey Look, Izzy, I'm really beat, so whatever you want to talk about-"
"Here," she said, thrusting the folder into my hands
"I justI wanted to say thank you For trying to save Finley and forI don't know Being nicer to us than you had to be" I s?" dance, both of usin and out, our arms held at our sides Good to knoardness apparently ran in the family In the end, we just kind of patted each other's shoulders before Izzy went back downstairs, and I headed into ainst the door as I opened the folder Izzy had given , because as soon as I saas inside, ave out I slid down the door, one hand over my mouth as tears flooded s in the folder One was a grainy color photograph that looked like it was some kind of surveillance shot The other was a piece of paper with a few lines typed on it The photograph showed a vampire I kneell -Lord Byron Yes, the poet He'd been a teacher at Hex Hall, and once he'd left the school, I'd seen hi down a street, a scowl on his face But he wasn't alone
Jenna alking next to hi She was thinner than normal, and paler, if that was even possible But there was no ers over her i at the paper
New vae TBD, possibly one Jennifer Talbot
There was a date under that Taking into account those three weeks I'd o
Jenna was safe Jenna was safe and not burned up She ith Byron, who ood care of her
I closed ht to my chest If Jenna was alive, then maybe Dad, Archer, and Call were, too
CHAPTER 8
The next , Izzy took me on a tour of the compound As pro I took away from the place was how still and barren it was
"We've always lived here, and the other Brannicks used it as sort of a halfway house They cay sessions, whatever," Izzy told h the basement There were a couple of cots down there, all covered with the sahts buzzed overhead
"Where's your dad?" I asked her, sitting down cross-legged on a cot "I eted with her hair "He's hunting supes on his own Boys aren't allowed to live with Brannicks
They just come for, uh, visits and stuff We usually see him every three months or so"
"That's veryAmazon Woan picking at the blanket "It sucks," sheto take her hand and then pulling back at the last second "Thank you for Jenna's picture," I said, changing the subject
Blushing, Izzy suddenly beca When you said pink hair, I reured it was her"
"I don't guess you happen to have any other pictures lying around?" I was so relieved to know that Jenna was okay, but that didn't lessen the hollow feeling in ht about my dad, Cal, and Archer
Izzy shook her head "No, that one came in fro up with va up at s "You're still really worried about your dad, aren't you?" My voice was a little strangled when I replied, "Yeah I am I'm actually worried about a lot of people Do you thinkThat dude in the mirror, Torin Would he really knohereflickered across Izzy's face, and she pulled back a little "Maybe But he'll just say a bunch of s real That's what he does"
Standing, I said, "I think I can hold ed up the baseo have a little ith Mirror Boy
Until I knew that all the people I cared about were safe, I couldn't even begin to wrap
But when I got to the War Roo table, ar about, they stopped as soon as I entered I didn't like the expressions on either of their faces
"Uto talk to you"
"Okay," Mom said, but I shook my head
"Not you I mean, we definitely need to talk, but first, I want to talk to you " I pointed at Torin
He grinned atthat your inquiries are the same as your mother's Where is James, is he alive, is there any way to reach hi him about Dad?"
Moyou were" still s, Torin rested his chin in his hand and said, "You know, if you'd just release et Ja he isn't burnt to a crisp, of course"