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By traveling frohis part towould be for real

We got him settled on his bed, stretched out and cos in other dimensions, you learn the value of a soft reentry I sat beside him and leaned over so that our faces nearly touched

"If you think Conley’s onto you--even for a second--co a cure"

"Not without bargaining for it, and that’s not going to happen" Paul brushed a curl away from my cheek In al it--he told me, "I love you"

"And I love you In any world, any universe"

His sh" Then he became more serious "Sometimes I look at you, and I think--if I didn’t knoe shared a destiny, if I hadn’t seen the proof for myself, I’d never believe this was real That you could love me as much as I love you"

I’ve felt exactly the same "We do share a destiny We’re meant to be Which means you’re meant to come back to me Got it?"

"Got it" When Paul settled his hands on his chest, he put his fingers on his Firebird Our eyes met, and then--

Then nothing Paul didn’t vanish; there was no light, no pop, no sign that he had even been there Of course, his body reht on his dorm-room bed, but unseen, untouchable No scientific instrument on Earth could find it

Slowly I rested my hand on the space where he’d lain, where only a moment before I would’ve been able to feel his heartbeat His blanket was still war, that he’d save Theo and co for hiainst the war torn apart

5

AFTER MY PARENTS FINISHED CHEWING ME OUT FOR NOT telling them about Paul’s trip to the Triadverse to find a cure for Theo, they settled in with me for the wait

"Paul said he’d come back after twenty-four hours," I told them as we sat up late on the back deck "Or as close to it as he can e Even if he hasn’t found a cure for Theo yet, he’ll check back in just to let us know he’s safe"

"Twenty-four hours!" My father shook his head, expression griured out how to monitor dimensional traffic, his people could be on Paul within ot away from Triad," I protested "He escaped to Ecuador"

This placated ul like Wyatt Conley can’t hire operatives in Ecuador?"

Mom laid her hand on Dad’s shoulder "Henry, please This isn’t helping"

I iated by men to whom the Geneva Convention wouldn’t apply My stomach cramped, as if in sympathetic pain Had we been stupid to leaveto help hi Paul isn’t capable of doing himself," my mother replied "He has a chance Paul knew the odds He did this to help his best friend We should respect his decision"

She was speaking totiiven--or, at least, that it wouldn’t happen until Paul had given Theo a miracle cure that restored hi