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I s breath, and straightened her shoulders "I’ll take care of it"

"I know you wil "

Chapter Sixteen

Direct Flight to Hell

My hands shook The seat belt clanged as I tried to buckle it for the forth ti her carry on in the overhead bin

Jared was outside, directing baggage and ht check had been carried out at least three times Bex’s deep voice huy was evident in his tone, and even though he was trying to play it off, it was there

The sun had set, and because of an earlier light su in every direction, answering questions, his expression severe I was glad that he was able to burn off so our departure

"Oh, for Pete’s sake, Nina Here," Claire said, snapping hed, and nodded in thanks, and she left ainst the seat and took a deep breath My nerves seemed to take a back seat when I watched Jared work outside, so I tried to keep ure approached Jared Kim She was unhappy, and when I realized she would ride with us for the duration of the trip to Jerusalem, my anxiety level doubled We had all abandoned her She was left to fight alone, even after she was promised for some relief She had helped us, and we turned a blind eye while she lost sleep and her uncle I was afraid of what she would have to say to me And she had plenty of time to either let me squirm, or cal me out

She held out her hand With the abilities Bean had given me, I could hear her dry voice

"The book"

Jared put the Naissance de Derasp "I know you don’t believe me, but I am sorry"

"I believe you" Her voice was tired Any sign of the Kim we once kneas as nonexistent as our former life She took the book and held it to her chest, and then pul ed a cel phone from her pocket As she walked to the steps of the plane, I heard her sigh

"Dad I have it We depart in ten minutes" She clicked the phone shut

I wiped mymy shoulder "You sick? You look sick"

"I don’t feel wel "

His eyebrows turned in, deepening the saave away Jared Bex sat in Jared’s seat, and patted my hand "You have Kim, the human deuy on this plane Not to mention you’re kind of a badass yourself these days"

"Bex," I warned

"Sorry Don’t tel Mom"

Kim boarded the plane Her clothes were stained and wrinkled, hanging froaunt body The dark circles under her once-soft brown eyes appeared like purple bruises on her ashen skin She only carried the book in her hand, and the phone in her pocket No luggage, no carry-on She had oneelse mattered

Her eyes met mine, and she froze Ryan passed lances, but no words were spoken Ryan kissed her bony cheek, and she let her body weight lean against hiht for a o

She used the seats to support her weight as she approached me

"Hi," she rasped

My eyes fil ed with tears Nothing I would say would be adequate I didn’t deserve to talk to her

Bex stood, and then helped Kim into the seat he occupied She turned to face me, and her chin lowered "I don’t blaether in a hard line An apology see; I could barely look her in the eye

"I don’t I just wanted you to know that, you knowin case we crash and burn in a few minutes"

I stared at her in disbelief, and then the corners of herback intobreath The s the plane had dissipated, and Jared

"This is it," Jared said to us all"From the moment we depart until we land, it’s out of our hands"

I reached out to hi in the seat beside ers, and closed his eyes I waited for several moments, but he stayed stil and silent I turned to see Bex and Claire, eyes closed Bex’s lips moved in prayer

Guilt washed over me They didn’t need to be on the plane Bex didn’t, either If Hel pul ed a fast one and the plane went doere helpless to stop it I knew they didn’t question their presence, though, but that only made me feel worse It was all of us, or none of us, and the display of the lengths our ht tears to my eyes

Jared wiped the tear that raced downa sht?"

"We all were"

The engines whined, and the plane wheels began to rolThe wing lights blinked against the fuselage, casting a red glare at half the time of my heartbeat

"Try to relax," Jared whispered His voice held no conviction He knew they were just words

We all waited for our i our chances pluht to Jerusale to cope with constant fear that every jostle or noise would signal our fal from the sky

I turned to look at my family Claire and Ryan were in deep, quiet conversation Bex sat next to Ki his pinky nail, and Kiines whined as the wheels rol ed forward The pilot taxied on the runway, and after a short pause, the plane surged forward

The sudden acceleration of the aircraft pressednot to feel every flaw in the runway, or the wind resistance against the wings My new abilities were exciting, and at times had saved my life, but for the first time, I wished for the aptitude to turn them off

As we raced faster and farther down the runway, I iine the tiny wheels, and how on earth at that speed the plane didn’t veer off into the grass, or a building At that point, everything that could possibly go wrong before we even got off the ground flashed through ainst ht I would die of a heart attack before we left Providence

"Nina," Jared said in sainst ripped his shirt, my knuckles white I was relieved to be in the ar reasons

"I’ently held my jaith both of his hands, and lowered his chin His dark blue eyeshappen to you"

"Don’t startpromises you can’t keep, now"

He kissed me, hard and purposeful Once, I could have becoround, and ere now a large and easy target