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"I told her to leave," I said hoarsely "It’s my fault"

"It’s not your fault," he said softly He pushed the hair sticking to my forehead out of the way "She ht was right, just like you and me"

"I can’t lose her, too," I told hiht, she won’t give us up Of course she won’t Conner is set back to her kids That’s how she is"

She and Jude and who else? Who else would I have to lose before this was over?

"Kansas HQ is probably already on this," he said quietly "We don’t have the ents to lose, and good ones at that I’ll see if I can find out if they have soht, reorienting ht toward the door, where there were at least ten kids watching his progress, varying degrees of worry on their faces I tried to take a step, but now that my otta stand up and walk, Ge his back on them "You have to walk out of here Not just for them, but for yourself Come on You have to walk out of here on your oo feet"

So I did Each step ainst the edge of the tennis shoes I looked down to where bright red stains were spreading across the white cotton socks

I keptto hide how heavily I was leaning on hiht to go downstairs, where the bunk rooy to protest as he opened the door to Cate’s old rooed to stay vertical until the sh Leaning forward, I tried to untie the shoelaces butso badly Cole had to tease the knots out for ht of the socks as I peeled the

"I ruined it, didn’t I?" I asked "The other kids won’t trust me"

Cole shook his head "All they saas so sooes Will you cut yourself soround? Take care of yourself so you can help ht? That’s the deal, and it starts tonight, right noith you staying here and sleeping for at least seven hours"

"But Clancy--"

"I can deliver the Little Prince’s ht," he said "Do you honestly think you could handle hiht now if he tried to take you on?"

"Take someone with you," I said "Have them watch fro"