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She nodded and let out a shaky breath "Sounds about right"

"You pushed thees from the room flowed into the hole in time, and the rips went in, too And you were back"

She was shaking so hard her teeth chattered

"Hallie, look at et you into soe of the tease I’d set up, , unzipped it, and handed it over She fished out a change of clothes, along with her brush and a ?"

"No Just … don’twater and an electric toothbrush A few a pants and a tank top Her face was clean, and she’d tied her hair in a knot on top of her head

She picked up her sweater and slid her ar for hours "You’re a good baby-sitter"

"I wanted to lass, Dune" She curled up on the couch, pulled the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands "I ood, right?"

"I don’t know" She’d floated and I’d watched the power pulsing through her Nothing about it felt good "It was a lass power It overtook you, Hallie"

"Then I’ll just figure out how to control it Next time, I’ll knohat to expect" She dropped her head into her hands "You’re looking at me like I scared you"

"I’ht noould be harder than taking care of yourself" I touched her knee "But …"

She looked up

"Let ot my anshen she crawled into my arms

Once she was asleep, I carried her to the bed and stepped out onto the gallery

It was dark, and ajust above the street It was the quietest I’d ever heard New Orleans, but even the loudest couldn’t compete with the noise inwhat had happened in the ballroo sun on the horizon

Michael didn’t e-mail back He called

"When did you fall for her?" It was the first thing he said after I answered

I couldn’t deny the relief Out of everyone, I knew he’d understand

"I don’t know I over the Infinityglass, all the things I’d read, so ht … for a fewI didn’t know if she was there at all"

He was silent for a hts "No one here has been possessed, and no one can send the rips back So far, she’s the only one"

"So it’s an Infinityglass thing"

"I think so"

"Time closed behind her It healed itself What if she could send all the rips back? Would it fix things?"

"At this point, the continuum is so compromised there are probably rips all over the world," Michael said "Definitely too ed Her body language and her voice" Her essence