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"Hey, you," I said, not bothering to show respect she didn’t deserve "Will you help Derek out? He’s got a nasty wound on his back"

Before she could answer, I walked over to Derek and, interrupting whatever conversation he’d been having with Ibrahieless

Holding Ben--who had now calmed down considerably--with one hand, I helped Derek out of his shirt with the other The Ageless looked disdainfully at h She ordered Derek to lie down on the floor and began so taken care of, I walked across the rooe tear in his wing seeht

"He’s healing up nicely," Ibrahi me I rushed into his ar the top of ," were the only words he could h his tears It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago I’d thought that I would never see ain And now here I rapped in his e down at Ben

I placed my baby in his arrandparent’s did

Then I took the opportunity to check on Anna She sat in a corner, leaning against the wall, clutching her ankle with her hands Both Kyle and Ian sat next to her, looking concerned I pulled each of the in turn and said, "Thank you With all my heart, thank you"

They all smiled at me Anna brushed a strand of hair away fro so formal, Sofia You don’t need to thank us We’re family"

Chapter 38: Derek

The floor felt uncoainst my chest I shivered evenIt felt like a hundred needles prickling my wound at once

"It’s done," she said after barely a minute

The pain had indeed vanished I ran a hand over my back and felt the skin now smooth where the cut had been I stood up and looked into the witch’s cold eyes I breathed nervously before asking the question that had haunted ates back in Costa Rica

"And what now?"

She paused, her gaze on the ground

"We leave And we erase our own gates" She sighed

"But why? Why wouldn’t you want to keep your gates open just in case? If it’s true that you’re no longer powerful enough to create new gates, then…"

"Aviary and Cruor both knoe have our own gates I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not already strategizing how to storh theet than we already are"