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the same In effect, I don’t have another past It was an incredibly co I asked him to do, and it literally drained him"

"It also means that Charlie doesn’t

knoho you are" Fallon’s eyes dropped to the floor "He doesn’t know me anymore"

"I’m so sorry It was the only way

I could think to save you all And you should see hiain and Mikey’s alive and it’s … wonderful"

Fallon’s head jerked up "You’ve

seen him?"

Trepidation froze Ari in place She

answered carefully "I hid in the Cloak" She shook her head slowly

"Fallon, you can’t see Charlie ever again I did what I did to keep him out of this life"

Her dark eyes dimmed "It doesn’t

matter to you that I was in love with him?"

"If you love hio"

"Maybe some of us can’t be as noble

as you"

"It’s not about being noble It’s

about doing what’s right for the person you love"

"So if it was Jai you had to let go

of … would you?"

The question halted Ari, thea pain deep in her chest Finally, she replied, "If I had to let Jai go to save him … then yes"

The tears slipped down Fallon’s

cheeks, and she wiped therateful,"

she told her hoarsely "I think what you did was a It’s just … I was in that o, and now you’re tellingup, Ari nodded briskly "I

get it," she whispered back

Their eyes met and for the first

time since Ari had known her, Fallon strode toward her and wrapped her arht "You’re the only one who does"

Ari rubbed her friend’s back

soothingly, letting her friend cry for the boy she’d loved and lost

The sound of the double doors

crashing open broke them apart As Fallon quickly cast an enchantment to hide her red eyes, Ari spun around to find Jai and Trey in the doorway, their expressions grim "Oh, God" Her heart beat hard in her chest "What? What now?"

Jai gestured to her to follow hiing a quick, concerned

glance with Fallon, Ari hurried after her roouided her and Fallon into one of the fa, Ari found Caroline and Michael watching TV, Red and Glass by their sides

"What …?" Her gaze moved fro initude quake hit

central Ethiopia in its capital city of Addis Ababa at six thirty eastern ti destruction in the densely populated city Currently, the esti--"

"What’s going on?" Ari drew

everyone’s attention fro in her ears as her fears began to whisper the answer

Her uncle Red took a step toward her,

his expression severe but thankfully not accusatory "The White King used Azazil’s current physical weakness to storm the palace, steal the Seal of Solomon from Asmodeus, and command Father to tell him where Lilif’s body is"

The news hit Ari in the gut She shook her head frantically but Red continued, "Azazil had hidden her in a secret underground chamber built under the Menelik Mausoleum in Addis Ababa"

Ari’s eyes turned to the television

screen where tear-streaked children clung to sobbing parents "The earthquake?"

"The result of Azazil’s will

breaking under White’s coe between my brothers, my brothers and I the roads that connect the pathways in the mortal realm and all the others? This bend in his will broke a thread It caused a crack in your world"

"Oh, God" She felt sick as she

gripped the back of the couch "What the hell have I done?"

She stood before hi from her as it did froreat as Azazil’s

This lorious of White’s life, gazing upon his beautiful s of the Jinn world Instead, he felt only complete and utter despair This was not the Lilif he remembered The Lilif he re, ethereal beauty with a wealth of wisdom and experience in her eyes

This … this Lilif was just as the

paintings had depicted her Paintings White had declared slanderous in their wrongful portrayal of her as a selfish seductress

This Lilif … this Lilif was exactly

as his brothers, even Ari, had described Silken fabric wrapped around her youthful body showing far more skin than White could ever remeic; rubies glittered from her ears and throat From her deep red lips fell words of insanity, of destruction, and of The After Red had atte forth the legendary After--it ould happen if balance was destroyed completely The realms would collide and cause desolation to all In its place would exist The After, and only those powerful enough would survive They would find themselves alone in a brave neorld