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We reach the house, and I findat the end of the driveway

"You know, I only know you as Six," I say "Did you have a name at one time?"

"Of course I did, but I didn’t use it very often I didn’t go to school like you Well, I did for a little while, but then we decided I was better off staying home"

"So, as your name?"

"Maren Elizabeth"

"Whoa, really?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I don’t know; Maren Elizabeth seems kind of dainty and fe and mythic, like Athena, or maybe Xena, you know, like the warrior princess? Or even Storm Storhs, and the sound of it makes me want to pull her to me Of course I don’t, but I want to, and

"I’ll have you know, I used to be a little girl who once wore ribbons in her hair"

"Yeah, what color?"

"Pink"

"I think I’d pay et it, you don’t have enough"

"I’ll have you know," I say,the same playful voice she just used, "I have a whole Chest of rare gems at my disposal Just point hs, then says, "I’ll keep my eyes open for one"

We continue to stand at the mouth of our driveway, and I look up at the stars and the moon, which is three-quarters full I listen to the wind and to Six’s feet on the gravel as she shifts her weight fro to the other I take a deep breath

"I’lad ent for that walk," I say

"So a she were visible so I could read her expression "Could you i your life without having to worry about what or whoto peer over your shoulder to see if you’re being followed? Wouldn’t it be a over the horizon?"

"Of course it’d be nice," she says "And it will be nice e finally have that luxury"

"I hate e have to do I hate the situation we’re in I wish it were different" I look for Lorien in the sky and release her hand She rab her by the shoulders and turn her towards me

Six inhales deeply

Just as I duck my head towards hers, an explosion rocks the back of the house Six and I screaround A plume of fire lifts up over the roof, and flames instantly spread inside

"Sam!" I yell Froainst the concrete ay S out

Before I know it I’ve burst into a dead sprint I take a deep breath and leap, crashing into the house and splintering the door froes

Chapter Fifteen

EACH NIGHT LATELY I LIE AWAKE FOR HOURS, MY eyes open, ears attuned to the sounds of silence around me Every so often I liftthe floor, a person shifting in her sleep--and soo to theto be assured there’s nothing out there, an obvious atteht be

Each night passes with less sleep than the night before I’ve groeak, exhausted to the point of deliriuood, but no ae how I feel And when I finally do sleep, nothing keeps away the terrible drean of the mustached man in the week since I saw him in the café, but I can’t dismiss the notion that just because I haven’t seen hi to the same questions: as in my cave; who or as thea book with the name Pittacus on the cover; and, adorian? None of it makes sense, not even the title of his book I’ve turned up nothing other than a brief suiven to short, pithy statee of attacking the city of Mytilene What does it have to do with anything?