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MaybeThe Goddess was here with all her mystics I’d need them to reopen the lines But I couldn’t do it alone I needed the dee howl, the Goddess turned her attention back to reat chunks of my memory went numb, connections to it sliced cleanly by the Goddess "Al," I groaned, hand outstretched, then clenched into hed, her head thrown back as herme frolowing "You cannot stopTrent behind hied "Or have you learned nothing?"

"Fine!" Al shouted, and I gaped, unbelieving, as Al picked Trent up and threw hiht blinded me as Trent struck her, and then I screamed as the cold of death touchedto push away, but it was Al, and I took a grateful sob of air in as he pulled me from the floor and into his arms He’d reached lowing glints of gold in his eyes He was growing up

"Stay down," Al ain Trent is fine Beneath her notice You, though"

"You both die!" the Goddess shrilled, and I jerked, head spinning Shit, she was headed right for us, her pace leaving fla steps of rubber behind her as her shoes burned away

"Hang on This ht be tricky," Al warned "I’ hiccup as hisley line "Hurry up!" I shouted as a brighter glow blossomed between her hands and her eyes see kill us!

"So in alar my word to led "Al!"

"Don’tto break it!" Bis shrilled, and I froze

I took a breath, then another We were in a circle I saw it now I hadn’t gone blind It was Al’s s the molecule-thin barrier "Trent" Oh God, Al had thrown him at her

"He’s fine," Al said, and all three of us jumped as the Goddess ha wraithlike as she burned the body she was in, holding it together by sheer willpower Al’s slasses, and I spotted Nina huddled under Ivy’s baby grand, protecting Ivy with her body Trent didn’t look s with Jenks on his shoulder They were all forgotten as the Goddess focused on me I prayed that Trent would stay where he was He looked okay

Myinside the bubble I could feel thele and squirm even as Bis basked in their war a possible hope I probably wasn’t going to make it out of this circle alive--not with the Goddess standing and waiting to pummel ht as well try "Al, we can reopen the lines"

"Are you moonstruck!" he bellowed, then winced as the Goddess blew a hole in the ceiling in frustration Thick beams bounced and rolled, and Nina pulled Ivy deeper under the piano as Trent and Jenks danced back out of the way "Rachel, we’re going to be lucky to get out of this with our lives! The Goddess knows oing to make it out of here alive?" I protested

"And whose fault is that!"

"Help et out of his arive as well as take"

"Rachel, we’re trapped!" Al exclaie of the bubble, and it fell

Light burst over us I gasped as the Goddess howled in victory, then cowered as a blast of white-hot intent washed over usand fell away Al grunted in surprise, and I looked up

Astonish face as shock evolved into understanding "You cloak yourself in your dishar back a step

"Dishar at Bis, his feet clamped onto Al’s shoulder There could be no disharto a hot anger, and Al began to chuckle "It will not save you I will burn it away, and you both will die!"

"Yeah? Howme with him "I have a lot of smut"

"It’s the set through it"

Gri fierce as her fire raced over me and died Al and I shared an aura--his smut insulated oad "Bis, go get the rest We can do this!"

"Got it," Bis said, launching hi to avoid her haphazard strikes

"Al, don’t let her burnstill at a memory Peter had once askedsuicide There was a chance here Wasn’t there?

"What?" Al said, looking fro out a hand and blocking her desperate attack "Rachel?"

"I’ to need all theto let her in See how er to

"No!" Al shouted, horrified as he understood "Rachel, it will kill you!"

But there was no other way, and with a deep breath, I dropped the gates toit, and I felt the Goddess stuhts within her even as I swung out again

You will be ended! I will not beco they’d be crushed but needing to distract her fro within

I will not becohts to where the lines used to huates If I could flood they, just one, the ould be open and I could pull on the flow of energy to open the rest