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Was that what being powerful was like?

"So you can make people believe they’re soes could only co Sort of like hypnosis?"

"Nah," Martin said "I can dothem feel what I want them to feel Like that kid I switched places with? I made him feel too scared to stay in his cabin, ood idea to pretend to beit So I can sort of command people to do stuff, but it’s more like, if I want someone to hurt someone else, I have to make him feel really, really pissed at the person I want him to attack"

"Huh," Cate said "Is it the same for you, Ruby?"

No Not at all, in fact I looked down at ernails The thought of revealing exactly what I could do made thes into sos"

At least, as far as I knew

"Wow…I just… I know I keep saying this, but you two are really sos you could do--howaround, I lifted h to look out to the road Behind in to twirl theers I could see the reflection ofeyes that seemed almost sleepy; thick, dark brows; full lips--I could see the revulsion slide over it

I shouldn’t have, but I took the bait Martin barely had time to brace himself before I whirled around and slapped that saht in my throat Do not touch le finger on that hand But he was grinning at ain Only this ti I leaned forward, ready to grab that sa down cold, hard, and fast

But that was exactly what he wanted The realization flowed thick and slow through uts He wantedto fuel h hi with his triuer even beenokay back there?" Cate called over her shoulder "Hang on tight, we’re almost there"

Whatever Marlinton norray clouds and a layer of h to distract even Martin fro withcenters with broken storefronts were disturbing enough before we cut into the first neighborhood of little brown and gray and white houses We passed a nu the street and in driveways, sons still stuck in the back , but all of the leaves The cars were surrounded by piles of junk and boxes--furniture, rugs, co, useless electronics

"What happened here?" I asked

"It’s a little hard to explain, but do you remember what I told you about the econoovern led to another We couldn’t pay off our national debt, we couldn’t provide money to the states, we couldn’t provide benefits, we couldn’t pay government employees Even small towns like this one didn’t escape People lost their jobs when companies failed, and then they lost their ho is terrible"