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"Do it," I reply

I stretch an arurneys as Dr Craven ertips find Natalie’s War second

Please let there be time

There’s a moment of resistance, then my skin splits Cold air rushes over parts of s as s blaze like fire

Just hold on, Natalie

There’s a crack of bone followed by sto pain

I love you

Viselike hands squeeze around my heart

I love

My vision blurs as Dr Craven lifts so out of my chest

I

38

ASH

SILENCE

That’s the first thing I notice when I wake up A deafening stillness that trickles through my veins, where my blood once rushed with life The blood is still there, but now it’s just a stagnant soup for the Trypanoso about inside otten what it felt like; they’ve been dorle to open, ether like the ivy that once crept over the church where Dad and I lived Light pierces

My head feels foggy and it hurts like hell, like I’ve got a killer Haze Headache, but it’s nothing coish ar have I been asleep? All ainst es of ether pink, puckered skin, and below thatnothing Just deep, endless e out from the sudden burst of pain Gah! It feels like I’ve been cracked open like an egg and scooped out, but I realize that’s pretty ingerly climb out of bed My bare feet touch the cold floor I’h I’m not sure whose It’s sparse, hite walls, marble floors and a double bed covered in white sheets

I’rab the blanket and drape it over my shoulders, then head to the door My hand hovers over the handle, unwilling to turn it, suddenly gripped with fear What if I was too late? What if Natalie died? As soon as I step over that threshold, I’ll know But if she’s dead, I don’t want to know

I consider going back to bed, so I can hold off finding out the truth for a little while longer, but that’s all I would be doing: delaying the inevitable Natalie is either dead or alive No aht as well find out now I turn the handle

The corridor is empty My eyes instinctively drift toward two bloodstains on the carpet One belongs to Natalie The other belongs to Sebastian I’d been drea chair, laughing manically as he metaain I rip my eyes away fro from the room at the end of the hallway I tentatively pad toward the white door and place a shaking hand on the doorknob I shutby the balcony at the far end of the bedroo a black-and-white kitten, which playfully paws at his top

Elijah and Evangeline are standing beside hieline’s waist She warily eyes the kitten in Beetle’s hands Day is perched on the end of the double bed, wearing a si braid She’s got a new pair of glasses--these have finenose Next to her is her younger brother, MJ He’s twelve years old, with dark skin, chocolate-brown eyes and thick black hair His gray shirt is ill fitted because of his hunched back--MJ was born with a condition that causes curvature of the spine

He looks up and beams at me "Ash!"

"Hey, squirt," I say, my voice croaky frolance toward the bed Natalie is lying on top of the blankets She looks very tired and pale, her blond curls hanging in loose waves around her heart-shaped face, but she’s alive She’s alive!

I rush over to her, ignoring the pain in ently pull her into my arms I kiss her softly, tentatively, not just because I’m worried I’ll hurt her, but because I’er share a Blood Mate connection; there’s nothing binding her to hts, Natalie’s fingers twist through my hair and she draws me closer All my doubt vanishes as I sink into the kiss, and for a moment, just a fraction of a second, I swear I feel a heartbeat echoing insideI cup her face in ently rub her tears aith ht I’d lost you," she says

"Me?" I say, confused

"You’ve been unconscious for nearly teeks," Beetle says

"What?" I say, flabbergasted

"You nearly died, Ash," Natalie says quietly "The Trypanosoma vampirum in your blood didn’t i You weren’t getting any oxygen to your organs"

"Dr Craven had to give you a transfusion of Evangeline’s blood," Day adds

I glance at Evangeline and give her a grateful smile

"You were brain dead for a few minutes," Beetle says "Of course, nobody noticed any difference at first"

"Hey!" I say, and everybody laughs

"Then there was the other thing," Beetle says "You ht want to look in the mirror"

I wander over to the mirror and look at my reflection It takes aat is me Black hair Gaunt face Pale lips Silver eyes

Silver

"You got infected with the retrovirus when you bit Sebastian," Natalie says "Thankfully, you didn’t have a bad reaction to it, like he did"

I study et used to my new look, the new ave you my heart?"

"The Wrath in ," she says "I guess I got lucky"

I s the irony of that statement

"So you’re still sick?" I ask quietly

She nods "But I’ve been taking e case on her nightstand "Dr Craven is optimistic I’ll be better in a few les out of Beetle’s grasp and bounds onto Natalie’s bed

"Who’s this?" I say

"Mittens," Natalie replies "My parents got her for me to replaceereline, who flushes slightly I reach out a hand to pet the new kitten, but it hisses, giving ive Ash and Natalie so up "I’ up to do" She starts walking to the door with Beetle and MJ, then sharply turns and rushes over to runt with pain, but let her hold on to uy, Ash Fisher"

I grin as she pulls away and hurries out of the roour need to see you as soon as you’re up to it," Beetle says "There’s a lot of business to attend to"

I groan, rolling my eyes "Can you tell the, bro" He leaves the rooainst the door frae of the bed Natalie holds Mittens close to her chest

"How are you?" I ask Evangeline

"There’s good days and bad I miss Edhs "It hurt losing ht it would" Her glittering black eyes flitter toward Elijah, and he seline stands up and kisses my forehead, then plants a soft kiss on Natalie’s cheek She walks over to Elijah and takes his hand They leave the roo the door behind them Natalie and I are alone Mittens leaps off the bed and paces over to the balcony<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>