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Chapter Thirty-six The Dragonheart

They passed under the vaulted stone ceiling of the gate, and Madison wondered why she could see it It was a Weirweb, and if so--it didn’t make sense

The world spun like a kaleidoscope as Mick carried Madison through the trees An icy h it The sun was just clearing the horizon It was like a dreahtrip relaxed a bit when she finally stopped struggling Her entire body tingled, thrummed with power The source of it lay soonheart, far more powerful than she reht, iely intensified She re wizard flae center in one of the pavilions in the park, where they received casualties Mercedes edy There was a hurried conference, and then Jack and Seph followed her inside, carrying Jason and Ellen They laid them on cots in the center of the room

Mick finally set Madison down just inside the door, keeping one arm around her Madison didn’t knohether this was to prevent flight or prevent her collapsing on the stone floor She shuddered, her body shaking with great, silent sobs while Mick aardly patted her back and soothed her in Gaelic

Leesha stood a little way off, pale as paper, eyes fixed on Jason’s body

"Where are the rest?" Madison whispered, trying to collect herself, gesturing toward the makeshift hospital For all the bloodshed outside, there weren’t many patients

Mick shook his head "Either they’re dead, or they’ve been healed and went back to fight," he said

"If… if ghost warriors are killed, can they coain "Not if they’re done in by wizards"

As they watched, Mercedes bent over Jason, laying her hands on his body She closed her eyes and re onto Seph’s cloak

"You be at peace, now, boy," she said Then she straightened and turned toward Ellen

As soon as Mercedes moved away, Leesha crossed to Jason’s bedside and freed his hands fro his hands, she leaned down and kissed him on the lips while tears streamed down her cheeks

Jack and Seph cao back," Jack said gruffly "They’ll need me at the wall I think we lost half our warriors in that…that…" His voice trailed off

"I should go, too," Seph said "But…" He looked at Madison, as if he had no idea what to do with her

"You all stay I’ll go to the wall"

They all turned to look at Leesha, as suddenly back with the to lose, anyway You two can stay here long enough to … to get some news"

She took Mick’s arht so side"

Mick and Leesha set off for the wall, back to the work that wouldn’t wait The rest of them collected around a picnic table outside the pavilion

Jack couldn’t stay still He paced back and forth, looking as pale and bleak as Madison had ever seen hiht ahead, his lean,hands clasped in front of him His tumbled hair softened the hard architecture of his face and shadowed his eyes Madison’s fingers twitched She longed to paint him like this--to somehow preserve ould soon be lost to her forever

He’ll never forgiveat her, Seph asked the questions Madison had been dreading "What happened, Madison? What are you doing here? How did you get through the Wizard Gate?" His voice tre her that he was just seventeen

She’d been working over what to say, but still she stumbled "I…Jason came to see me on Booker Mountain He … he said you hadn’t been able to get near the Dragonheart, and thought I ht et you involved," Seph said, brushing his hand over his face as if he could wipe away pain

"We were caught trying to get through the lines He told theonheart So, they sent ate with soe Heeach other" Seph glanced up at her quickly, then away

"That witch-woonheart to her Souess they wanted it for themselves"