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They ignored ue from before

"Stop!" I said "I don’t want to do this anymore!"

"Are you sure you want to do this, Jack?" Gabe asked

My mouth formed around each of Jack’s words "Are you sure it’s her, Gabe?" He paused for Gabe’s answer, and then continued, "Then you know the answer" I shookhie overtook rabbed the book from Jack’s hands

Time stopped Several times before, I had attempted to physical y interrupt, and failed Jack, Gabe, and the book were always very real, but when I tried to interfere, they were the consistency of a hologram This time the book was in my hands

Gabe’s head turned up in quick motion to face me, his eyes a solid black "Ars Notoria," he whispered in a voice not his own

The change of events frightened me I stumbled back, away from my father and his friend They were frozen in ti else in the roo motionless in the air, but I could hear the screeches of the demons as they approached

The diroaned and creaked As I worked to keep hter init back with me crossed my mind It was the only reason I would be able to take it froeand closed my eyes "It’s just a drea my eyes with the Naissance de De that had ever happened to me

In a ful sprint, I bound for the , bracing ht, but before I could, a searing pain spread throughout round Although the leather no longer touched ers and pal were charred and s My hands shook violently as the burns traveled up hout my body; it was as if I were on fire The sensation was unlike anything I had experienced before, but I couldn’t i

The sound e from my throat didn’t sound likethem for death

A hole opened up beneath one, and a soft, coolposition, I held my arms in front of me They were peach and unblemished

Jared and Bex stood next to the bed with terror in their eyes

"She was at least four feet above the bed!" Bex said, his eyes wide "Has that happened before?"

"No," Jared said, his expression exponential y onized look I had been accusto up to He was afraid

"Above the bed?" I asked, confused

Bex sat on the bed and watched me for a moment, then took the sheet and wiped the sweat fro straight out of the Exorcist!"

I hoped for one ht of the situation Gauging the storms in Jared’s eyes, it was true

"How is that even possible? What does that htened

Jared looked away

Bex tugged lightly onry that I took the book from them It was in my hands"

"You’ve tried that before and your hands went right through it" Jared said, his eyes on the floor

"Not this tirabbed the book And then Gabe…he looked at me"

Jared knelt beside uidance from his father "It wasn’t him," I warned "His eyes were solid black Like Shax’s"

Bex shook his head "How can that be? If it were d-- them I would have known The whole time you were stretched out…suspended…there were none

"Bex," Jared warned

"Not a single one," Bex continued, lost in thought "They crowd Mom’s house more than that"

"None?" Jared asked Bex nodded and Jared stood up again, and then began to pace Final y, he spoke, "So"

"But you can feel them, too," I said to Jared His question to Bex puzzled me

"I can Bex is more tuned-in to their presence--more so than any hybrid His sensitivity to them rivals Samuel’s"

"So around," Bex added

Bex’s frown instantly alar to think of soht help I wasn’t sure why they were so disturbed, but for Bex in particular, uncertainty was not so," I said

Jared’s face transforer "What?"

I searched ain "Gabe said ‘Ars Notary’ or ‘Ars Notes’…so like that"

Bex looked to his older brother "Ars Notoria"

"That’s it!" I said "What does it e of the bed and tenderly touched the sides ofto have to get a Naissance de De to tel us soether "What are you saying?"

"It’s not de vexed

"That leaves one thing," Jared said

"You think it’s Gabe," I said, horrified

Jared pul ed ainst my hair "We need that book"

Chapter Four

Exhaustion

Coffee shop aroup had been fil ed due to my persistent absences The only friend from school that I kept in contact as Beth, and that was only because she washer constant questions about , but her help had becohtly event, and the sleep deprivation wore on me so much that half of the time I needed Beth to reht on Jared, who left me with Bex every day to search for Shax’s bible It didn’t take hihthout the loft

A new se Break, Jared grew desperate Everyday he sought Eli, asked Samuel for help, he’d even taunted Gabriel for an answer, and every time he came home frustrated and empty-handed

"Coffee?" Jared asked, his voice tired

"Yes, please"