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"I’ll pass, thanks" She didn’t even look directly at hiht "That was too close, this afternoon"

When he’d told her that his decision not to be with her was final, she’d accepted it Balthazar hadn’t realized until now that he was counting on her to push back--to te him places To offer all the pleasures of her co from him in return Was he really that selfish? That stupid about his own desires?

He said the first thing that came to mind: "How does Clementine have Lucas’s nulish," Skye said absently Then she sat up straighter, as if newly resolved "We have to go back"

"Back--where? You can’t ain Not ever, I don’t think It’s too lad you found ainst his will, Balthazar found hi the moment he’d awakened with her in his arainst his

"Don’t run off like that again" His voice sounded rough and unsteady, even to him "No matter--no matter how badly I screw up"

"I won’t I proain "So coet holanced over at the old-fashioned brass clock on theto be there now"

"Which is the whole point" Cautiously she stood, tested her steadiness, then took her coat fro it back on "I’ve run from these ‘death visions’ every ti that way It’s past tiht?"

"Yeah, but--Skye, that’s incredibly dangerous for you You’ve nearly died before"

"I’ve felt like I nearly died It’s time to find out exactly what happens toalong" She tossed hilance over her shoulder as she headed for the door "You are coht" He had no choice now but to follohere she led

Chapter Twenty

SKYE WRAPPED HER COAT MORE WARMLY around herself as Balthazar drove through the winter storh The snowfall had, if anything, only increased; the true winter of upstate New York was noell under way All around the, cautious on slush-slick roads

"Are you sure about this?" Balthazar said His handsohts of his old beater car "We could try later Another day, h time"

"If I wait, I’ll chicken out Let’s just do this" Skye tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear On the radio, so about sadness and loss, and how they kept you up at night "I’ the … enhanced senses, or whatever they are, so et to ht You said that today, you could sense it even outside her room It enhanced your psychic senses, too?"

It The bite The moment he’d pulled her close in her bed, and she’d felt herself surrendering co to call the bite "it" frouess so It h the hallways, and evil Coach Haladki was screeching at me--"

"Nola’s not that bad Just cranky"

"I knocked Britnee Fong down in the hallhich led to a whole screa Today’s been awesoNeither of us wanted the entire school to hear But we had it out about our breakup" The taste of it was still sour "It was a good thing, I guess We talked about hoeird things got after Dakota died, and hoe--" Did she want to say this out loud to Balthazar? What the hell, she decided After a guy had bitten you while nad in your bed, privacy pretty ether We weren’t going to be together long Craig already knew it, and I… I guess I should’ve known, too"

Even Craig adht to have helped her more than it did Maybe it would in ti clearly that soon after your brother’s death," Balthazar said "He shouldn’t have done that to you" She could see hiht, as if he were biting back so else to say Her face flushed warht of her with Craig got under his skin

Even one day ago, that jealousy would’ve made her incredibly happy Noever, Skye didn’t see how it mattered So what if Balthazar wanted to be with her, if he refused to do anything about it?

Slowly she said, "If a guy wants to be with you, he should be If he doesn’t, he should keep his distance"