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"So, you doubt ht to doubt ives up and says, "I’ll go with Treven There are at least one hundred of her beasts out there and unless ant a whole town infected in one night, Treven needs as reeht in this?" I think because he’s still so new and a half-breed, I feel a sort of responsibility to hiive Treven and Nathan one last nod and all of the figures

Xavier is still standing beside me

"Maybe I can talk to her," he says about Nataša "I know she’s a hardass, but…I hate to say it, but she’s not like Sibyl"

His coht it would; I got over o

"Nataša is loyal to our father," I say and then froures inside the houseacross the front"She will do whatever he’s told her to do, Xavier, and that includes taking you doith me if it comes to that"

Xavier tries to act as if the truth doesn’t faze him, but I know otherwise He rounds his chin and says, "At least let me talk to her Give me that much If she chooses her orders over her own son, then you do what you have to do and I won’t interfere"

So then it’s not just s in our society to change Even Xavier understands the importance of freedom and revolution All of us,hu, inadvertently exposed to human nature and have experienced the differences in their nature and ours We have coenerations-old totalitarian govern, and that it doesn’t have to be

Change begins with us

I inhale a deep breath and say, "Okay, I’ll give you the chance"

And without wasting any ether

"Eet ees about ti in the den in the center of the room "Xavier, I am surprised you have involved yourself in this…atrocity"

There are six other beasts standing in the roo to the upper-floor, two in the den with Nataša, one in the kitchen looking out theat the front yard, one at the large denand now one right behind Xavier and I

I still don’t seeupstairs? But why?

I realize that he isn’t here I felt it earlier, a heavy feeling of absence, but now I’ around insideis what’s in front of er

Beverlee sits in her nightgown on the center couch cushion with her back straight and rigid; her trehs where she wrenches the fabric of her gown in her fingertips Tears streak down her face and I know she wants to look at me, but she’s too afraid to ed; strands are stretched messily across her face, stuck to her skin by tears and snot and sweat Carl Dawson is in his favorite chair, but the way he sits there in an unnatural position with his back at an angle, tells me he had been tossed there by violent hands Carl is shirtless and wears a pair of navy paja down the under part of his neck and instantly I fear that maybe he’s already been infected, but I’m relieved when I notice the blood came from his busted nose There is no emotion in his face except the fear I see in his eyes Unlike Beverlee, he doesthat I’m here to help them, but can’t understand how soly harmless, could possibly help in a situation like this He keeps glancing covertly over at Beverlee, wanting only to reach out and hold her even if in his arms she truly isn’t safe

Xavier speaks up first:

"Mother," he says carefully, "this isn’t right They have nothing to do hat happened to Aramei" He doesn’t feel confident with his oords, but he’s trying He ss and takes a deep breath, stepping forward just a little "Only rogues do this; take hu our society to theirs You know it’s wrong"

Nataša would probably sht about now, but she has never been one to s sake She stands there for a ht into a ponytail, stretching the skin at the corners of her eyes and ht and slanted As always, she wears her signature skin-tight black leather bodysuit and tall black boots with the shit-kicking kind of heels

She walks across the room to stand in front of Xavier and I step up beside hih Xavier’sto hiht down to business, bypassing the ridiculous ue that we all knoould make absolutely no difference