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We took turns sleeping, or at least pretended to My body was thruy, and I could hear Chubs ht’s events

And then caainst the concrete steps of the cabin once ether

"Lizzie--" I heard one of the boys outside our door say "Are you--"

She pushed past theainst the wall Liam startled awake, more confused and disoriented than he’d been before

"Ruby!" Lizzie was looking straight at ht in her dozens of piercings, but it was the blood on her hands that stopped the flow of blood toall over like crazy, and bleeding, and I didn’t knohat to do, but he toldon--Ruby, please, please help me!"

I stared at her hands, the wet blood

"It’s a trick," Liam croaked from the futon "Ruby, don’t you dare…"

"If he’s really hurt, I should go," Chubs told Lizzie

"Ruby!" she cried, like she couldn’t believe I was standing there "There was so much blood--Ruby, please, please, you have to help hiht I was stupid, didn’t he? Or did he just think his influence extended that far--that I could ever forget what he had done to Lia over my skin Too immature and weakhearted to use my abilities, was I?

We’d see about that

Lia position "You know hi "Don’t do it, don’t--"

"Shohere he is," I said, over Chubs’s protests I turned to him "You have to stay with Liam, understand?" You have to watch hiet us out Not Mike, not a burst of rando Clancy’s face slack with my influence would be orth the effort it would take to break into hisI needed to know to do it?

"Ruby--" I heard Liauided her outside, past the confused kids, past the cabins Outside, the terees

Fat tears dripped down her chin "He’s in Storage--ere talking about--about--"

"It’s okay," I told her, putting an aard hand on her back We ran through the garden and up the office’s back steps She fumbled to put her key in the lock, only to have it ja but sprint inside The hall and kitchen were earlic and to up for dinner

Everyone except Clancy, who stood in the ainst a shelf of ht corner of the rooround, her tre only air "Clancy," she cried "Clancy, can you hear me? Ruby is here now--Ruby, come here!"