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"Wait Dead weight?" I think back to my conversation with Sarah in the Lecture Hall Those were the exact words she used "Were you eavesdropping on us?"
Six looks a little guilty at being busted, but ry with row a pair and tell her that we kissed"
"Why would I do that?" I snap, struggling to keep er you put it off thesick of it? Because she deserves--"
Before Six can finish, the Civic roars to life, Sarah revving the engine Nine steps back fro pleased with the way Sarah’s gunning it Sarah leans out the , peering back at Six andor what?"
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE PENTHOUSE FEELS EVEN LARGER AS SOON AS John, Six and Sarah are gone I’h to contain the entire monastery of Santa Teresa I know it’s silly, but I findlike I’ these riches Nine and his Cêpan amassed
The tiles in Nine’s bathrooet out of the shower I think of all the ti splinters out ofthe uneven wood floors of Santa Teresa I wonder what Hectór would think of this place, and I smile Then, I wonder what kind of person I would be if my Cêpan had been Sandor instead of Adelina; a showy but dedicated guardian, frivolous in his purchases but not one to abandon his duties It’s pointless to think such thoughts, yet I can’t help it
But if I hadn’t been stuck so long in Santa Teresa, I never would have crossed paths with Ella I never would have journeyed to the ht
All the hardship, in the end, orth it
I stifle a yaith the back of ht, not with the exciteht sleeping in Ella’s rooot too bad Actually, I don’t think Ella slept a wink in between theFive’s beacon Apparently, to her, spending ti soacy doesn’t extend to the dream world
I find Ella curled up in a chair in the penthouse living roo loudly, his hands curled around the contracted metal tube that turns into the staff I’ve seen hiotten it froht there was a chance John would bring hi on the mission Nine clutches the weapon like a teddy bear, probably dreaet some sleep too," I whisper
Ella looks fro to rest his eyes and then he’d show le There’s soe
"Co later"
Nine gru his face in the couch cushions Ella stands up slowly and we tiptoe out of the room
"I like Nine," she announces as alk down the hall "He doesn’t care about stuff"
My brow furrows "What do youor, like, worries about ross jokes and lets "
I laugh, but I feel a bit wounded All of us have been so worried about Ella, always trying to get her to open up about Crayton--I’et to the botto her mind off her troubles with bluster
"We’re just worried about you," I say
"I know," Ella replies "It just feels better not to think about it soive Ella that gentle nudge John was talking about "My Cêpan, Adelina, she spent a long ti not to think about her destiny--about our destiny But eventually she didn’t have a choice She had to face it"
Ella doesn’t say anything, but I can tell by the way her face is scrunched up that she’s thinking aboutaway fro back into Sandor’s workshop I stand over the plugged-in tablet, watching the dots that represent Four and Six crawl slowly towards Five’s stationary dot in Arkansas
"Are you worried about theh I know the others will be fine Even after hest and bravest person I’ve ever uy, the leader we need, even if sometimes I can tell he feels like he’s in over his head
"I hope Five is a boy," announces Ella "There aren’t enough boys for all of us"
My h "Are youat me mischievously "There’s John and Sarah, of course And you and Eight"
"Wait a second," I say "Nothing’s happening with ht"
"Psshh," interrupts Ella, continuing on, "and if I grow up to ettingin the doorway behind us, that char has he been standing there? Ella and I exchange a surprised look and start laughing