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Bird looked at Perry with utter regret, then gave ht-lipped smile "Roman’s upset because I didn’t tell him how bad she really was"

"I didn’t know," I said defensively I turned to Roht?"

"Yes, I speak English," Roman snapped He waved his hand at Perry disone; this is unfixable"

No No I couldn’t believe that I would not accept that We didn’t coive up Perry was fixable End of story

I grabbed Roht up toto fix her," I snarled, er than she looks She is still in there and you’re going to help her, or so help me God"

"You’ll need your God if you think you’re going to win this battle," Roave me short nod "Okay Let’s see e can do Just, please release me"

Just like that, huh? That seemed a bit too easy Still, I took my hands off of his sweatshirt and backed off I shot Perry a quick glance, wishing that she could knohat I was trying to do for her, and walked around the car, trying to controlto be too much now We were so close So da to each other in their native tongue as they looked over Perry and I could only hope that Bird was doing what he could to encourage hiether, looking like she was going to lose it at any ing her along for her own sake, though she saved my ass a bunch already

"Hey," I said to her as I stood beside her "You okay?"

She nodded even though it was quite obvious that eren’t okay We couldn’t be further fro to hold onto hope, hope that was currently looking over Perry like she was a lab speciive up on her You’ll see"

Ada bit her lip, blinking fast

"And neither e," I added I reached down and grabbed the cold, tiny hand of Little Fifteen and tried to give her the strength that I sure as fuck lacked

She squeezed back, her eyes wet as she looked at ly "But what if we can’t save her? What if it’s too late? What if it’s all for nothing and we lose her right here in thedoubts now, doubts about bringing Perry all the way here when maybe she would have been better off at ho that I knew best I’d be lying if there wasn’t a part ofto get through this," I told her, wishing I could make us both believe it "All of us"

A roan came from the car as our attention went back to it Ro her toward us in a hurry

I kept the rusted door to the house open as they took her inside I could feel the waves of ani off of Perry’s body, the hate, the need to win and destroy everything she was inside It felt colder than the winter wind that hipping through the sunshine, blanketing us with a sense of defeat

Ada and I followed close behind, navigating through the sle dude lived here, though, aside frorow-op, it was hard to tell that the single dude was also an exorcist Maybe I expected more native, medicine man-type artifacts, but the place was pretty bare, with a lot of dust floating in the air

They took Perry into a large room with just a bed in the middle and an ar of a raven on the wall but it didn’t look very homey or lived in Still, it was better than a hospital It had to be

I began to take that thought back after they placed Perry down on the bed and Roht three leather straps out fro a step toward hinoredout threeher down, across her chest, hips and legs

"Is that really necessary?" I exclaimed, about to pounce on him This was no better than a hospital at all!

Ada reached out and dug her long nails intome back

"You know it is," she said quietly, her eyes warning ht, we had her covered in duct tape--in fact she still was We had to do as necessary and Roman was no different But it didn’t mean I had to like it

Roasped from beside me but he quickly took the knife and sliced it down Perry’s middle I winced as he did so, afraid that if she et hurt But Roman was quick and soon she was free from her duct tape prison

"I won’t rip it off," he said to her "I knoould hurt you, still"

"I hope you’re talking to Perry," I said

Rorave look "I am I can see she’s there, too But you both must understand that I may have to hurt Perry at soree to that