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He tightened his grip and flipped on the light switch Strings of tiny lights lit up the perimeters of the s A plush red bench lined the roo me down on the cushions, Dante stood back and looked at me

I felt myself blush "What?" I whispered, e, he gently unlaced my shoe and slid it off My toes curled as heit on the floor

The boat creaked as he looked up at ers tickledbeneath the pleats ofwithin rasp the waist ofat a time I let out a shallow breath as he kissedmy skin prickle

"Is this okay?" he asked, his voice soft

Sing, I nodded, his questionas I unbuttoned an and slipped it off my shoulders

He kissed my neck And slowly, he unbuttonedacrossbut a bit of cotton and lace

Sitting back, he tookacross ht Beautiful, he mouthed, as if his lips had acted without him He lowered hi his fingers in e, etting myself, I lifted my head and pulled his face toward mine

He turned away just before our lips met "Careful," he whispered into my hair

And even on that tiny couch, in a cra seeether, as if he were the inverse of ht of his legs on top of mine--they filled the hollowness within me, and I breathed him in until I could smell the wet air, the dusty cushions beneath us, the salt on his skin as his stubble grazed , as if no time had passed between us, as if the last teeks had been nothing but a pause in thesentence

"I think I found an answer," I breathed over my shoulder, my voice barely audible as I told him about Zinya’s prophecy, the Nine Sisters, and the canary "If the legend is true, then their secret could still be out there If we find it, then we can use it to give you life again"

I waited for Dante to press hiainst me and tell me ere saved, but he remained still "But all of that is just speculation," he said finally "How do you know the ninth sister didn’t let it die with her, or that immortality exists at all?"

His voice hit row stiff "Because it has to A vision of a canary flashed intoZinya said the visions would lead to the answer toto the secret of the Nine Sisters?"

"You promised me ere behind the cathedral that you wouldn’t follow your visions"

"I never promised," I said "And besides, I’e take care of herself? Could your parents?"

Bewildered, I hugged s? Don’t you even want to try?"

He reached out to me, but I pulled away

"Of course I do," he said

I searched his face, trying to understand why he was acting this way "Then why aren’t you happy?"

"I am happy," he said, as if I had hurt hi that ht not even exist"

"But that’s all I have," I said "When you’re gone, it feels like a piece ofIf I lose you, what’s left?"