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I almost couldn’t believe it

Happy and anxious all at once, I felt the rush of responding Source, but it peaked and then quickly sputtered out The a was insane

"The third cell is hers," Blake said, rushing down the hall, toward the last cluster of doors

Spinning back around, I held my breath as Dawson reached for the onyx-coated door handle and turned It met no resistance

Dawson stepped into the roo, and his voice cracked when he spoke "Beth?"

That one word, that one sound was pulled fro again

Over his shoulder, I saw a slender form on a narrow bed sit up As she came into view, I almost cheered--I wanted to, because it was her, it was Beth…but she looked nothing like she had when I’d last seen her

Her brown hair wasn’t stringy or greasy but pulled back in a s a pale but elfin face A huge part of nize Dawson, that she’d be that cracked shell of a girl I’d ht even attack Dawson

But when I saw Beth’s dark eyes, they weren’t ehn’s house They also looked nothing like Carissa’s frighteningly blank stare

Recognition flared in Beth’s eyes

Time stopped for those two and then sped up Dawson stu to drop to his knees His hands opened and closed at his sides as if he had no control over theirl scra over us and then they settled and stayed on him "Dawson? Is that… I don’t understand"

They boththe distance at the same moment Their ar his face in her neck Words were traded, but their voices were thick with emotion, too low and too fast foronto each other in a way I knew they were never going to let go

Dawson lifted his head and said soe and it sounded just as beautiful as it did when Daemon spoke it Then he kissed her, and I felt like an interloper watching them, but I couldn’t look away There was so much beauty in their reunion, in the way he showered her upturned face with tiny kisses and the wetness that gathered on her cheeks

Tears crept upthe back of my eyes Happy tears blurred my vision I felt Matthew place his hand on , I nodded

"Dawson" Urgency filled Dae out of tirabbed her hand and turned around as a whole boatload of questions cauys doing? How did you all get in here? Do they know?" And on and on she went as Dawson, as grinning like an idiot, tried to keep her quieted down

"Later," he said "But we have to go through two doors and it’s going to hurt--"

"Onyx shields, I know," she said

Well, that solved that proble the prone body of a dark-haired Luxen boy A reddish stain blooer’s jaw "Is he okay?"

Blake nodded The skin around his lips was drawn tight and pale "I… He didn’t recognize me I had to keep him quiet"

A tiny crack fissured my heart The look in Blake’s eyes was so hopeless and bleak, especially when they flickered toward Dawson and Beth Everything he had done: lied, cheated, and uy in his arain, I hated that I felt sympathy for Blake

But I did

Beth looked up and her onslaught of questions faded off "You can’t--"

"We need to go" Blake cut her off and stalked past us "We’re almost out of tihs else can wait"

Beth was shaking her head vigorously "But--"

"We need to go, Beth We know" And she nodded at Dawson’s words, but panic was building in her eyes

Urgency kicked adrenaline into high gear and without any more delay, the five of us took off down the hall Daemon punched the code into panel on the wall, and the door opened

The all-white waiting roo, presu and burly as ever All of us were caught off guard Daemon took a step back Matthew came to a halt I couldn’t wrapthere, as if he aiting for us

The tiny hairs on my arms started to rise

"Oh shit," Daeuys"

Then he raised an arlittered, nearly identical to the one I wore aroundhappened so fast Siale force winds I was lifted off h the air I crashed into the nearest door,the air out of s as I hit the floor

Oh, my God… Simon was…

My brain raced to keep up as happening If Simon had a piece of opal, then that otten us if we hadn’t been so unprepared to see him It was like with Carissa He was the last person I expected