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"Are you sure?" Andra asked Nika "I don’t et cleaned up, then meet you wherever you like for blister duty"

Joseph stiffened at that Behind hie men shared some kind of secret, silent h his hair "Look, Nika, if you’re not up tothe men, I’ll make them wait until another day"

Nika shook her head "I’d rather get it over with Just give h tiuinar, and be back before anyone knehat she was up to

"Fine," said Andra, "but if you needto finish up here with Joseph; then I’ll be back to the suite to help if you need it before we have to head back out"

Nika nodded She really needed her own place, but now didn’t see it up She’d won one battle, and that was as much as she could hope for in a day Besides, if Andra was leaving again today, her

Joseph, Paul, and Andra turned to go the opposite way, but one of the strangers held back, watching her He had light hair that had been shaved down to his skin, with only a fraction of an inch of stubble showing He was taller than his cory look on his face--one she’d seen too nize it He was in pain and he thought she could h her She willed herself to run, but herher still like a frozen little bunny Tih the fear, but it did no good His hand was stretching out, reaching for her

A high, pitiful noise spilled out froer--saas happening and grabbed the other rip "Not yet You heard Joseph"

At the sound of his na with Paul and Andra "Don’t!" shouted her sister "You’re scaring her"

Joseph’s big body shot through the air and sla them both into the wall They landed in a pile of thick arht it down enough to flee She turned to run, but had forgotten all about the bone It fell fro onto the hard tile The sainst the glossy floor

Andra’s eyes zeroed in on the bone, widening in shock and revulsion "How could you?" she whispered "How could you desecrate Tori’s grave?"

Nika knew that nothing she could say would ued over this too many times to count Andra knew she’d buried their baby sister Nika knew she was still alive There was no room for compromise here None

"I’m sorry you had to see that," said Nika She bent, picked up the bone, hid it frorief and guilt lingering in Andra’s eyes

Nothing would except proving Tori was alive

Andra bit her lip to stave off the tears that burned her eyes She would not cry in front of strangers

She’d thought Nika was getting better She’d started eating again She’d gained weight The bouts of dizziness and weakness had grown farther and farther apart She was even pushing at the boundaries Andra had set--a sure sign she was getting healthier, stronger

At least, that hat Andra had thought

The fact that Nika would resort to digging up their dead sister’s bones proved just horong Andra had been

"She really is crazy," said Andra

Paul’s strong ar up the comfort he offered He pulled her away from the others and shielded her with his body to afford her a bit of privacy "It’s only been a few ive her some time Let her pursue this course if she needs to"

A wave of revulsionaround our dead sister’s bones It’s disgusting"

"I know, but if it’s the only way she’ll give up her delusion, then it’s worth it, isn’t it? Do you really think Tori would begrudge Nika the proof she needs to heal?"

"No Tori would have given Nika anything She was generous and loving to a fault But that doesn’t excuse this I told her she couldn’t do this I told her it wasn’t fair to Tori that after al in that cave, our sister’s reer safe in the ce to take Tori’s reuinar to see if they can identify them I’ll talk to Tynan and make sure he understands the situation I’m sure he’ll treat this with as much care and reverence as possible"

Andra was sickened by the thought, but what could she do? She knew that if she took the bone back and buried it, Nika would only slip away again later to steal it And next tiht not come back in one piece