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"And don’t co as I reinstated the circle "Or I’ll give you more of the same!"

My skin prickled I spun back to Al But the de ather eyes black and beautiful "You okay?" I asked her, and she s you work," she said, more alive than I’d seen her in two hours

Pissed, I pulled the hair out ofthere when I need help, you know that?" I said, then ducked as so flew overin a tight circle to drop down onto the rock Ivy was slu to walk to the church Hold on I’ll be right back Trent’s at the wrong line"

Trent? I took an elated breath, but the little guy was gone The sun had gone down unnoticed, and his pebbly black skin was hard to see against the night I’d hardly recognized hi, and I turned to find Al was gone Coward "You left me!" I shouted "And I can love anyone I want!" I added, but there was no one there but Ivy to hear me

"Son of a bastard," Iin the soft sound of displaced air There was the quick pulse of leather wings, and Bis was gone again

"Nina!" I had expected Trent, but it was Nina, the athletic wo to Ivy with a vah heels

"You’ve been here for hours!" Nina exclairy as she fell to kneel before Ivy and covered her with her jacket "Why didn’t you give her any blood?"

It hurt when she said it like that "She doesn’t want any," I said,

Ivy pushed weakly at Nina, eyes slipping shut "No I’m okay Rachel did what I asked"

"She doesn’t want blood Stop forcing her," I said

Hunched over Ivy,shadow, Nina all but hissed, "This is what she is What she wantsher alive"

But if she quit striving for who she wanted to be, Ivy ht as well be dead

I took a breath to tell Nina to back off, startled when Bis juoyle was on Trent’s shoulder, and he immediately popped back across the lines, for Jenks, probably

Thank you, God Trent shuddered as the stink of burnt a flip-flopped in me My eyes darted to where Al had last been to be sure he was gone Trent was here I didn’t have to do this alone He wouldn’t let Ivy die We’d be in time

"Rachel" Trent’s usual slacks and dress shirt looked out of place, sheened with red frolow in the sky His dress shoes slipped on the dust, and he caught his balance effortlessly His pace crossing the dust was fast, and his eyes were quick Sunset, even in the ever-after, was truly his best tiht Jenks told me what happened Is Ivy okay?"

"She’s hurt bad," I said as he reached et her pearl button undone fro she was okay "She’s got internal injuries and a concussion" I hesitated, surprised at the sudden lump in my throat "I probably shouldn’t have et to a line"

"Why the hell aht flash of pixy dust His bright sparkle sifted down like a te her sive hi him when it should have been the other way around

Bis landed on the rock above the us out His lion-tufted tail wrapped around his feet, looking both suberous even as the white tufts on his ears o--but I nearly lost it when Trent pulled s and spice, his touch real and loving, re I wanted but was afraid to call ers strong froentled ether, and now there was so to ," Trent whispered, the deep understanding in his voice bringing o, but nowafter seeing hi to follow his heart, I could I could accept his coht not last The undeniable truth was, he was s than me One day Ellasbeth would have him, and I’d be left with the memory of who he had wanted to be

"Rachel?"

But I’d be damned if I didn’t take what I could of the ti Trent a thankful soyle had his wings draped around hi like a devil hiive her so up on her sleeve, Nina used her little teeth to rip the button off "She can’t bevampire said as she pushed her sleeve up Her naturally dark skin showed the scars even in the di Ivy this close to death obvious "I can’t believe you let her sit here on the cold ground!"

"Easy," Trent said when I stiffened, and he liftedthe strain I’d lived with for the last few hours, the fear "Why is it harder when those we love are in danger than when it’s just us?" he whispered, and I blinked fast I wasn’t going to cry, daain, her eyes black as she found Nina’s "No," she saidwith her need to help her

"Ivy, sweetheart, please Let s half open, unsure and unwilling to do anything thatHe knew it for the lie it was as well as I Oh, I was sure blood would help stabilize her, but it would be an unredeemable step backward, back to where Nina, in all her expensive perfu to pull Nina fro Felix into her mind anymore The clever woman was too in control er "No blood Not like this I’d rather die twice"

"But, Ivy," Nina protested, breaking off when Ivy fuertips Frustrated, Nina knelt over Ivy "It doesn’t have to be this hard!" she begged, but Ivy only sood that she’d resisted, that she’d won again for another day "Why do you do this to yourself?"