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"At least you know Right now, I get that it hurts like hell--but at least you got your answers"

Nadia propped herself on one elbow The firelight behind her painted her black hair nearly auburn Her wind-chapped cheeks were pink, her eyes swollen fro, and yet to hiht I loved you less"

Mateo shook his head "I listened to Asa, and I shouldn’t have"

"Demons mess with humans’ heads It’s what they do But it’s not the lies others say to us that destroy us It’s the lies we tell ourselves" Nadia’s hand brushed along his cheek, tre and tentative "Never believe that I don’t love you co else in the world I could ever hope to gain I’d give it all up for you if I had to, to keep you safe--"

"You don’t have to give up anything forher to hear his heartbeat and know it only belonged to her "And I’ll never doubt you again"

They began to kiss, first tenderly, then more passionately Mateo closed his eyes, felt the softness of her in his arms, and the warmth of the fire

His hands found the cradle of her waist and hips; his lips brushed against the line of her collarbone Nadia’s fingers slipped beneath his sweater, tracing the lines of everyhiainst his cheek Her words were hardly any louder than her tre breath

"No" Mateo pressed his lips to the soft triangle of skin exposed by the deep V of her sweater "Nowhere but here Nowhere but with you"

For now, the evil they faced, the entire rest of the screwed-up world, seemed very far away

Outside the Perez ho away the final leaves of autuh the clouds--even though the night was so cold that frost round Sinkholes still unfilled after the strange events of autu in with new, soft earth, as though atte to erase the town’s scars And the croirled up into the air, dark, shining wings glittering in the nize

There were other rules about witches and Steadfasts, rules Nadia herself did not know Rules her ht to teach her

They would reveal themselves in time

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