Page 28 (2/2)

Six woht bun Feelings of peace, concern, benevolence And sensible shoes

The yellow fever is spreading; bodies lie in piles on the streets outside We can’t take on any more orphans, but the infection makes new ones every day Every hour

Is it punishry children speak of neither

The sound of a bouncing ball echoes down the hallway Playtime and prayer time blend into an ache in h ht co the ballroo as we dance in the narled hands and the pain in e as I kneel to pray

"Hallie"

Who is Hallie?

"Please, Hallie Wake up"

I squeezed my eyes closed, breathed deeply into my center, and pushed

Cecile Dupart

Melina Landrieu

Sister Mary Christina

Their worlds disappeared, but their memories remained Time sealed itself shut behind them, and the ballroom fell silent

I’d experienced more life than I could ever live on my own in the Bourbon Orleans ballroo in ness of the situation, but that didn’t o on a thousand jobs for Chronos, but I’d never dance in a pre–Civil War ballroom I could fall in love a hundred ti politician in the calhty more years, but I’d never, ever be a nun

Ever

"Hallie?"

My eyes flew open It took me a few seconds to focus on the chandelier above reen eyes

"Dune?" I was on the floor "What happened?"

"I don’t think we should talk about this here" His face was drawn, his eyes guarded

"Why?" I struggled to sit

"Not here, Hallie"

He scoopedI rested s as he took ed to me repeated on playback inconfidence I could still feel it inunder my skin

"Are you okay?" Dune sat beside me so softly that the couch barely moved, a feat for someone his size He brushed otten to the room so quickly?

"I don’t know" I tried to sit up and he helped me, his arm around my waist "Was … was it like last tiuarded "Powerful"

"It felt like freedom Ultimate, supernatural freedoh their eyes, and I felt all their emotions But you didn’t feel that, did you? What did you see?"

He didn’t answer Just looked at ed"

Dune

"You were three different people At first, you just froze Your face was expressionless" Her irises had reflected the light pouring in through the s, and she’d stopped blinking I’d stepped back froround "Then the rip sucked you in It was all around host, and the rip world was the reality

"What else?" she proed When it happened outside Lafitte’s, it was one face Today, it was three A young girl with brown eyes A blonde with a slightly crooked nose An older woman with dark skin You were three people in quick succession, and then, somehow, you were all three at once"