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But the fight is over quick and all of the Vargas filth is pinned to the ground, except for Viktor who still hasn’tof uniht has happened and that it has to do with Aramei

And Adria…

I lean over fiercely into Viktor’s face "Viktor, tell hs and leaves

"Take them all to the baseht at Nathan with a cold, hard stare; s"

He nods and they drag Ashe and the others around the back of the house toward the new reinforced basely It worries ht back, that he suddenly, after hundreds of years, seems so different that I don’t see the old Viktor in him much anymore I want to beat the information out of hi talk He wantsto be the one who tells

I’ve already left Viktor in the basement chained to the ith his son and the others There’s no way they’re getting out of there: reinforced steel all the way around and chains et out if he really wanted to bad enough

The rest of us havearound on the sharpest of pins and needles

"I still can’t get her on the phone," I say I grip ainst the wall out of anger, but don’t in case Adria does try to call me back And her mind…it doesn’t feel closed off to me intentionally It feels…odd…like she’s unable to co out ofeveryone fro around the corner, her curly blond hair whipping about her frantic face

"We thought you’ve been with hi beside me

"No!" she screams "I haven’t seen hiot a telepathicent--Where is he?!"

Before I have a chance to answer, the roooes quiet as Daisy’s head snaps around to face the door

She runs back out and we follow fast behind her

I gently push her aside and head down the porch steps as I stare off at the figure co around from behind Harry’s car parked at the farthest end of the driveway

Harry is carrying Adria in his arms towards us

I run after them and stop just as Harry stops We look at each other, Harry and I, for a powerful lance down at Adria, whose eyes are open, but she seems oblivious to me

"Isaac…," Harry says carefully

"Harry…,"

He hesitates and adjusts Adria within his ar to reach out and take her from him, but I can’t yet and I don’t knohy

Harry takes a deep breath

"Aramei’s dead, Isaac," he says and my heart stops "Adria killed her"

Chapter 29

ALL OF THE VOICES around me have been blocked fro anyh the trees, or the traffic in the distance, or Ashe’s chains rattling violently as he tries to break free, or even Viktor’s sadistic laughter that makes hiishit It takes several long, ominous seconds before all of the sound and movement rushes back into my consciousness and I’gishfro it all in slow-ures take off towards the woods

Finally, I notice Harry still standing in front ofAdria in his ar God…"

This isn’t happening Not like this I have been plotting all this tiainst my father so that I could abolish his dictatorship once and for all…but not like this!

Adria is coherent, but traumatized She ht now, straddling her legs tight around ainst ainsther; the back of her head cradled within the pal hand

"I-I had to d-do it!" she wails, the words sputtering fro! She’s been suffering inside her own mind for over two hundred years! I had to help her!" Her body quakes, racking againstto calm her down "I know…Adria, please don’t be like this You did the right thing--"

"I KILLED HER!" she roars, pulling her head away from my neck "ISAAC, I SNAPPED HER NECK! I MURDERED A PERSON!"

I know she’s not angry at me It’s obvious just by the extre to believe what she’s done, trying to convince herself that she had to do it