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"Then you tell rew stern She stoppedher

"He was lost, confused, and dying when I found him"

"You found him?" she echoed me

"He wasn’t alone I ith hi to ease her pain "I tried to help him To restart his heart"

She pushed herself back with great force, knocking her chair over as she stood "You? You did this to him?"

"Not to hurt him To help him," I pleaded I stood and took a step toward her, but she raised her hand as if she would slap ers curled in toward it, leaving only the pointer aiht now Don’t come near me"

"Claire, you must know I’d never intentionally hurt your son I didn’t kill hi to help You have to believe I’d never hurt Peter’s brother"

Her hand fell to her side Her h "Oh, you stupid girl You stupid girl You don’t understand at all"

"Understand what?"

"The deal Colin and I made That’s what," she said and drew nearer "Peter has no brother The man whose heart you burned out, he was my son My only son My Peter"

SIXTEEN

Shock sent the sensation that I was falling froaped open, but no words cairl They’d take our Peter, and in return for keeping him alive, ould raise her son The boy we raised, the boy we love as if he were our own true son, the boy you let fill your woentry That is why he can never know any of this"

"Co as fairies," I said The words cas Even so, even if fairies existed, it was not possible that my Peter could be one of them That my baby could be half Fae I placedunusual aboutshe had toldas witches either, but here you stand before ue that away "Okay" I said "Accepting for the moment that this is possible, how can I keep it froht to know"

"But there’s the rub If you tell him, if he ever learns the truth about his nature, ill lose hio to them He won’t be able to resist, noto resist would only drive him mad or kill hiht and wrong and do what I tell you This secret, the truth about Peter--whom I very much consider my son in spite of it all--you have to take it with you to the grave" Woice in oneto process the fact that E when a loud knock rapped the door and both our eyes darted toward it "They’re here They don’t know about Peter, so keep your mouth shut about him"