Page 37 (1/2)

Isaac wants revenge for his sister’s death, but he sucks it down into the pit of his stomach and holds himself back

He steps forward and I finally jump to my feet, but he thrusts his hand backward at me and I stay put It feels like my heart is about to burst I feel it in my kneecaps and in my toes

Harry steps past rabs ht to do it All three of the to get to Alex

I can’t bear to watch her die like I just watched just Phoebe die

"Who are you?" Isaac says carefully, but so in his tone leads me to believe that he has an idea now of exactly who she is now

Zia s her to flip over onto her back, her arms suspended above her head

I can’t understand how, but the entire area about thirty feet outward in four directions around Zia see else It’s as if the trap barrier is keeping not only Zia inside of it, but also the strange light that emits from her body, which is similar to the color of her eyes But it’s faint, just barely noticeable

"Is it not obvious by now?" Zia says cocking her head to the other side and looking upon Isaac with mock fascination "Think back a couple of years Surely you haven’t already forgotten about Avril Or--," she gazes coldly ata few beats, "…has Adria helped convince you that it wasn’t your fault that Avril died? That’s what a good girlfriend does, right? She pats you on the back when you’re feeling guilty and tells you all the reasons why you shouldn’t"

"Avril was your sister," Isaac says

Zia sain just to keep her froe"

I feel the hope of the situation co out of irlfriend, Avril, who died after he sired her And then soo Dark for endless reasons--pick anything that ht make you want to betray your own kind and it could be a reason" I see now that I have been the source of Zia’s revenge since the night Ithe skate park She knew I had caught his eye and she wanted to take from him what he took from her

A flash of the attack by Sibyl in the car, the one that technically killed me, crosses my mind, too It was her It was Zia ith Sibyl and Viktor that night, the unknoolf that Isaac never could identify

"But how could she say the word Praverian?" I think to myself, dumbfounded "She said it! I know I heard her say it Twice!"

"The answer is simple, Adria: illusion," Zia says and I see that I have been so trau it "I didn’t really say it You just thought I did" She points her index finger upward, "Oh, and I was the one that wrecked the car with you in it I was the beastly face staring in at you fro with Viktor all this tiree with the disbelief in h, but soes to sound spiteful "I wouldn’t say plotting--I have Viktor by the short n’ curlies He siredhiswhat I a" She rolls her eyes as though that is an unfortunate inconvenience

Harry speaks up, "And so you became what they are so you wouldn’t have to er with Harry’s voice It’s like he’s the cherry on top of this massive retributive treat

"I should’ve known you were one of us," she says "Your attraction to --we’re always ed a bullet with you"

Tears are burning aze near Zia’s feet, those tears burst to the surface

I can’t lose ain

I throw ht around o! Please, Zia!" I can hardly see straight the tears are clouding my vision

"I don’t think so," Zia snaps "I don’t play that an-eye-for-an-eye bullshit, Adria" She glares back at Isaac in a sidelong glance "You take one eye from me and I take two Consider it interest"

"NO!" I sla to break free frorip, but I can’t ins to expand, I’m suddenly rendered immobile and powerless I can’t shift, just like Phoebe couldn’t and I don’t understand why until I look over and see Harry’s glowing red eyes staring back at me How is it possible that he can control a full shift in such a way?

He turns back to Zia and Alex, but it’s Zia who speaks:

"You know you can’t drinkaroundlips

Isaac moves toward me and looks up at Nathan, "Get her out of here"

"What? Wait…No I’!" I thrash around in Nathan’s hands

"I can’t hold her offabout ns of distress; his eyes open and shut fro in his power to continue holding back my transformation

"PLEASE JUST LET HER GO!" I finally break free froht into Isaac’s who see, screa at me Our eyes lock and then in one solid motion, she breaks the chain between the shackles in half and then just as quickly reaches down and pulls apart the ones binding her ankles Almost a half a second too late, Alex rolls out of the way just as Zia realizes what is happening and she makes it across the trap barrier Zia’s hand barely brushes through the strands of Alex’s hair, butfor to keep Alex inside the trap with her

Now Zia is inside of it all alone