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I jumped in before he could continue It wasn’t his job to always rush to , Dee We both agreed that enough people had died that night We didn’t think he’d come back"

"It’s more than that," Matthew said "He’s also connected to another Luxen He dies, his friend dies We aren’t just killing hi an innocent person"

"Like Katy and Dae the usual venom Her bitchiness must’ve transferred to Dee at soers the second that thought finished and I squir at a worn section onhistory--a history spent ignoring what had probably always existed between theotten to know each other on that level right before he was snatched away frolanced at Dawson "And like you and Beth?" When the two boys nodded, Ash sat back and glanced at a silent Matthew "We can’t kill Blake knowing it’s going to kill an innocent Luxen That’s like killing Katy and it taking out Daee fro we kill Katy or Beth," Dee reminded everyone "We don’t knoho this other Luxen is For all we know, he could be working with the DOD or whatever that other group is Blake… He killed Ada a brilliant blue "I was his sister"

Dee’s spine straightened as she drew herself up "And I was his girlfriend"

Holy s I shook roup is called Daedalus"

Yeah, Dee couldn’t care less what the group was called She turned to Matthew "We have to do soets hurt"

Matthew looked just as shocked "Dee, we’re not--"

"Killers?" Her face flushed red and then paled "We have killed before to protect ourselves! We kill Arum all the time Daemon has killed DOD officers!"

Daemon flinched, and I immediately took offense to this Hebothered hily, she looked at ht now, but this… This isn’t you"

She sucked in a sharp breath and behind her the TV flickered on and off "You don’t know me And you don’t know shit That…that human freak--whatever he is--was here because of what my brother did to you In theory, if you never caht "Adam would still be alive"

Daeh, Dee It wasn’t her fault"

"It’s okay" I sat back against the cushion, feeling as if the walls had shifted closer Andrew had said the sa hi-like quality Part of me almost couldn’t believe Dee had said it Not hyper and cute like Tinker Bell Dee Not the girl hipped intojust as lonely as I had This wasn’t my best friend

And then it hit me

Dee wasn’tthat see on Yeah, that was stupid when the big picture was called into play, but Dee was important to me, and I had failed her

Beside me, Dawson shifted forward "If Katy hadn’t come here, I would never have been freed The world works in messed-up ways"

Dee looked like she hadn’t even considered that She pivoted around, playing with a strand of her hair--a nervous habit of hers Her arm faded out for a few seconds, and then she sat on the coffee table, her back to us

Frohed Every tiaze fixed on Dee "Guys, whether we like the idea of killing so"

"We do," Daeroup "Arguing about what to do with Blake is a waste of tiet Beth back, he’s going to turn Kat andhis fingers through his hair And then he did so unheard of, for hiain, her movement abrupt and jerky "He said that?"

"I don’t doubt he’s serious," I said, hating that all of them were put in this position because of … So many would’ve, could’ve moments "He’s incredibly desperate to free Chris"

"Then it’s done," Dawson said, see relieved "We help hiuys are freaking insane! We cannot help Adaest we do?" Matthew asked "Let him turn your brother and Katy over?"

Her eyes rolled "No Like I said, we kill hi"

I shook my head, stunned by the ferocity in her voice I also believed Blake probably had to die, because why should he live when Adahin a long breath "We are not going to kill Blake"

His sister’s hands balled into fists "Your call Notto keep an eye on hi to kill him"

"Bullshit," she hissed

On his feet, Andrew took a step forward "Dee, I think you need to sit down and think about this You’ve never killed before Not even an Arum"

She folded her slender arms and her chin went up a notch "There’s always a first time"

Ash’s eyes widened as she slid a look at me that said, Holy crap I wished I knehat to do or say, but there was nothing

Quickly losing patience, Daemon mirrored his sister’s stance "This isn’t up for discussion, Dee"

A faint gli body "You’re right There’s nothing you can say that will convince me that his life should be spared"