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I was getting impatient After a three hour train ride and threeto find the right safe-house, we apparently came at a time when nobody was home

I tappedTitus to show his face The lure of Paris was overwhel and as I stood outside the door, with my back to the still icy waters of the Seine river, I painfully suppressed the tugging desire to explore the city

I could see the top of the Eiffel Tower in the distance; alked past Notre Dame on our quest to find this house I dreah the Louvre and I could smell freshly baked bread froh of this," I gru point after a local walked by holding his elegantly unique pastry proudly in his hands as if taunting my stomach in the cruelest of ways

I pushed past Gabriel and Jericho who stood politely on the stoop and reached out for the door handle I heard Jericho start to protest, but before I could figure out what he was saying, I usedit open However, so happened when I forced the door to move

With ht back violently, sendingacross the checkered marble floor of the entry way and head first into the ivory wainscoted wall opposite the doorway At the sa weapons high above their heads, screathe worst

"Well done, gentle his hands, clearly amused

I pulled e in Jericho's sarcasm The men around me too, paused and lowered their arms slowly Now that I had time to take them in, I could see that their weapons weren't so erous variety and more of the pots, pans and cricket ainst the wall, which was now h it

"Eden?" one of the h a black skifor awho the threeme probably were

"Jericho?" another one of them asked, and then the three of them simultaneously removed their masks

Xander, Xavier and Titus all stood aroundhand to

"Man, are we glad to see you!" He practically shouted in my ear

"Yeah, you look like it," Iall the saic?"

"Oh, sorry about that," Xavier apologized sincerely, staring at the hole ic, but you can't be too careful these days, and anted to uys" He pouted his lips, one hand absently stroking the gruff shadow of a beard he kept nicely trimmed and nodded his head as if to say they had obviously done a good job at being "extra sure"

"Well, you definitely did that; don't worry" I rubbed the top of ic to heal the wound, but no ao frohed, even Gabriel, and the tension in the room was lifted Jericho shut the door and locked it and then werooood to see you guys!" Xavier echoed Titus's senti down on a perfectly white, pristine couch and bouncing up and doith exciteth, dark hair behind one ear and I marveled at how similar he and Xander looked They weren't twins, but they were almost identical, facial hair and all "We heard what happened, but Jericho, man, I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Yeah, it's good to see you guys too!" Jericho echoed equally as anihly on the back Theeach other, but instead the four boys sat or stood staring at one other bouncing up and doith nervous energy "I'lad you're all here and all Ok"

"Oh, ere never really in danger," Xavier continued "Iabout us But man, e heard what happened at the farhtmare came true, well, we just it was hard to stay here It was hard to sit still"

The roo a sound We sat staring at each other, lost in the deepestfrustration of waiting for vengeance Collectively we kneould come, but for now, at this moment, ere prisoners of patience

"Jericho, dude, we heard you were captured, what are you doing here? What happened at the farm? We need to know it all" Xander broke the respectful silence

"It's a long story," Jericho sighed, glancing at me with a curious expression But then I felt it; I felt the stab of longing and regret that threatened to sweep ain in the trauma of meinning, would force ive credence to the painful eain I especially wasn't ready for these boys to witness it

"Eden, why don't we go make some coffee and let these friend's catch up for a ood idea," I breathed a sigh of relief "Oh, wait do you know these guys?" I asked, realizing how rude I had been