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I did doze off and on while feeding on Cole; and once when I woke up, I saw that Cole was sitting up, his feet hanging over the side of the bed, his hands on thesomewhere?" I whispered

"No," he said without turning his head "I just got to thinking about the band"

"Do you remember them?" I said

He shook his head "No, but I feelprotective of theht noill destroying the baetylus hurt the the Everneath and everyone responsible for its existence that I hadn’t thought about what it would do to the band if ere successful Cole may have felt protective of them

I didn’t

But I felt protective of Cole I couldn’t deny it anyer andit was actually my choice I had about as much choice in the matter as an ice sculpture on a sunny day Drop by drop, without er and hate had et screwed because of it But I no longer had a choice

"I don’t think it will hurt the band Since it would break the Shade network, it ht simply end their accelerated Feed And then they’d have tiet out before we destroyed the hearts Because we don’t knoe’re going to do that So there will be time"

Cole nodded "Thank you I needed an out I could focus on"

I smiled "I am familiar with the need for a way out, no ive a hopeless situation hope"

He sighed and lay back down

There was no point in trying to sleep now

When we got up, we packed our bags in silence Maybe ere all focused on our shreds of hope We hauled our bags to the car and drove up Parley’s Canyon

At ten thirty we made our way to the back of the Shop-n-Go We clasped hands and forht, Cole on ht across frohts?" I said

"Yes," they all three said in unison

"Um, too bad"

We stood there for a moment

I’d come to love each of theht hand, the one who had nearly beheaded me with a baseball ere twelve, ould hold my heart for the rest of my life

I think he felt the ed on my hand to pullhi about it for the entire year before we started dating I wanted to kiss hiht be in a short tiers in my left hand went limp I pulled away from Jack and looked at Cole

"Are you ready, Nik?" Cole said, his eyes tight

I didn’t knohat to say to him So I just nodded

This ti We were in the throes of the transfer from this world to the next And soon ould try to destroy the baetylus

We were quiet e landed in Ouros We had a purpose Jack hung the Hely that had been leaking out of him in a colorful ht The pendant would hide energy

Jack led the way toward the secret entrance that Ashe had taken to get to the baetylus, and we all followed close behind Cole stayed next to Will, whose excess energy was et very far beforethe posters One single as printed in the middle of them

FEAST

And underneath that ere three faces Max’s, Oliver’s, and Gavin’s

Jack, Will, and I ca halt I turned toward Cole, who seemed confused He looked from my face, which I’m sure had a horrified expression, to the poster, and then back to uys?" he asked

I covered my mouth with my hand

Jack stepped toward Cole "They’re the rest of your band It’s your band on the menu at the Feast"

THIRTY

NOW

The Everneath Ouros

We’d been wrong Our assumptions that Max, Oliver, and Gavin had taken their Forfeits to an accelerated Feed were co I realized then how delusional we’d been Maybe none of us had wanted to believe that if Cole had been taken from his home and tortured, the band would have been as well

No one was preparing for war Instead, the inhabitants of Ouros were gathering in the center square, crowding in to watch the horrific s

Unless we could stop it

"When was the Feast supposed to start?" I asked

Cole’s face remained blank, as if he hadn’t heard the question He didn’t take his eyes off the poster

"Cole Do you recognize their faces?"

He shook his head

"When was the Feast supposed to start?" I said again

Cole frowned "I scheduled our arrival for right after the beginning of the Feast So ouldn’t have to deal with the crowds rushing to the square"

Jack pulled at my arm "We’re under a deadline here This could be our one chance to destroy the baetylus Even if we got to the square before the Feast, we’d never be able to rescue them"

I put my hand on Cole’s shoulder "Hey, look atright now?"

His htly open, and he looked around hi

"Cole Look at ?"

"I feel like I need to go home But I don’t have a home" He looked like a lost puppy

I nodded and turned to Jack "We have to try to save theo home?"