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As she bent back down to check lanced absently over her hunched back toward to door It was standing open and I could see the nurse’s station situated right down the hall A nurse in yellow scrubs and a really bad haircut sat with her hands propped under her chin It looked like she was trying desperately to stay awake Every few seconds, her head sluive her credit Staying awake all night to work the night-shift night after night ht appeared in my doorway and I startled It quickly ed, blackened teeth were stretched into a creepy grin as he callanced frantically past him at the nurse in the hall to find that she hadn’t

Couldn’t anyone else see him?

He was the same as I reht and his face was creased in wrinkles Inky tattoos to the ancient god Anubis scrolled over his hands and up his frail ar dark robes My heart pounded as the nurse finishedwith my IV tube and I prayed that she didn’t notice htened, sasped She turned back around

"Are you in pain?" she asked with concern, walking back toan eye on Annen inthe entire doorjaht from the hallway Couldn’t she see that?

"There’s no need to be brave, hon The doctor ordered you pain ht as well take them" She punched some buttons on the IV machine and a few shrill beeps later, I felt aelse, buzz me," she instructed as she left She didn’t even flinch as she walked right through the priest’s transparent body

Annen floated towardat the foot of the bed

"Why are you here?" I hissed quietly MyAnnen here, in the same room with her I still didn’t knohat his real motives were or what exactly he was capable of

He shook his head silently, his black cloak swirling around hi still He srin and then slowly pointed at er

White hot pain instantly seared intoers to fall open Words had been burned into h someone had written them there with a flame-tipped pen

Harmonia’s Necklace

"Harmonia’s necklace?" I whispered "What is that?"

Annen just shook his head again His silent routine was getting really old He had never bothered to hold back his opinions before

"What is wrong with you?" I delittering black eyes for a moment before he opened his ue should have been, there was nothing now but a tiny stump

It had been cut out I wanted to screaht for that his injury had been at the hands of the Moirae

"Who did that to you?" I asked shakily It had to have been soic of his own He would have been able to protect hiainst almost anyone Except the Moirae Or their sisters

He shook his head again, as though my question was inconsequential and pointed once more toward ain I grimaced, but I was prepared for it this time

"You know," I hissed "A pen and paper would work just as well!"

I openedback up at hione I so hated their ability to do that What was I supposed to be careful of?

I opened es, but like their author, they had disappeared Not even a scar remained in their place

I slumped back into my pillows What did all of this mean? One of the most powerful priests that I knew had been is hadn’t appeared toon, I felt vulnerable and helpless without my bloodstone Not to mention that Jade was apparently more vital than ever to the Fates in this life I had a terrifying feeling thatto suck

Chapter Three

"I still don’t knohat could possibly have been wrong with you," ht poured into our kitchen, slanting across the sunshine colored walls This room really was cheerful It was probably my favorite room in the house for just that reason

"Mom, you heard the doctor I estion Maybe I should stop having pizza for breakfast," I joked

I kneasn’t the two-day old cold pizza that had causedsupernatural had twistedto explode? Yeah I could see how that would go over

She shook her head "I don’t know It just worries me"

I smiled at her "And I appreciate it But you can stop now because I’m fine"