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Andra sped through the corridors toward their suite, praying that Nika hadn’t been fooled and this wasn’t all so She so desperately wanted this outcoh the door Madoc junized her As soon as he did, his big body melted back onto the couch in a pile of exhaustion Nika left his side and went into Andra’s open ar in the scent of her little sister’s pale hair She felt delicate inside Andra’s eile

When Nika pulled away, her blue eyes et and she wore a bittersweet smile "Tori’s alive"

Eether in an almost indecipherable pile She felt relief and joy that her baby sister was safe, but shame that she’d written her off for dead "I need to see her"

Nika nodded and led her down the hall to the spare bedroo She looked pale and thin, but as irl Andra had seen in herto find Sibyl, who’d been abducted, and instead she’d found a girl she’d thought was a younger version of Nika

In thatwoo--her sweet Tori

Tears burned Andra’s eyes and her throat ached, fighting the need to cry All these years She’d left Tori in the hands of thoseher for dead Shame welled up inside her so thick she couldn’t breathe How could she have seen Tori and not knoho she was? How could she have walked aithout recognizing her own sister?

Tori opened her eyes, but there was no warer

"I’h air to speak Not that itshe could ever say would make up for what she’d done--what she’d allowed the Synestryn to do to Tori

Tori said nothing Not that Andra blamed her What was there to say? The coht" siht Neither was Tori Part of her wasvital and left a hollow spot behind

Andra reached out, but Nika’s subtle jerk on her hand stopped her "It was you I saw last year, wasn’t it? It was youryou were Nika"

"Yes That was rip She couldn’t hold herself back any longer She had to hold her baby sister in her arht up and held her hand out "No Don’t touch me I don’t like to be touched"

Andra stopped as her heart broke open, pouring a river of anguish into her chest "I’m so sorry I didn’t know you were alive"

She felt Paul’s presence slide into herhands were on her shoulders, giving her silent support

"It doesn’t matter," said Tori "What’s done is done"

Andra wanted to say she’d find a way to make it up to her, but how could she? How could she do anything to make up for years of imprisonment, torture, and rape? How could anyone? All she could offer was another hollow apology "I’m so sorry, baby"

"I’m tired," said Tori "Please leave"

Andra found the strength to walk away, because it was all she could think to give her sister Nika was right behind her As soon as the bedroom door clicked shut, she let loose the tears she’d been choking back

Paul gathered her into his e her back

"She’s so broken," said Andra into Paul’s shoulder

"So was I," said Nika "I got better So will she We just need to be patient"

Andra looked at her little sister, seeing her in a new light She was no longer a fragile girl in need of protection She was a grooman with a quiet kind of power all her own And at her side was one hell of a forive his life to keep her safe

She hadn’t failed Nika Even though things had looked hopeless less than a year ago, here Nika stood, proof that a the Sentinels,to see to it that Tori found her own earing up for a fight she kneould be"Then patience is what she’ll have Asit takes"

She’d abandoned and buried her sister once She wasn’t going to do it again

Logan left Grace’s side, driven by the need to sleep There was nothing he could do for her, just as there’d been nothing he could do for Torr Grace had ive up her life for another He didn’t want to belittle the selfless gesture by questioning it

He passed into theat every heavy step he took A large group had congregated around the biggest dining table Joseph sat at the head of the table, speaking quietly There were at least two dozen Theronai there--likely deciding what to do in the afteran earlier on the drive home and told him about the humans they’d rescued--about the child Andra’s and Nika’s sister had borne

Logan hadn’t had est the information, but he was sure that once the sun set, Tynan would call the Sanguinar together for aof their own

He was too worn-out to stop and eavesdrop, so he passed the group by, ignoring the area that he cahtlessly at sonize They looked as if they’d been recently scrubbed clean, and half-elasses of milk sat on the coffee table in front of thean to theine the kind of hell those poor little souls had been through

Logan ignored his fatigue and went over to where they sat The boy was probably about seven, as was one of the girls The other one of the girls was older, maybe nine Each of them clutched a blanket around their skinny shoulders as they stared up at hie, haunted eyes