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Finally, unable to quell my curiosity, I liftedup into a pair of light blue eyes fraht’ve shared the same hair color, but this was definitely not Chantel My vision came further into focus and in ht

"Kailyn?" I breathed, host, like me

I couldn’t believe it Was this another dream, albeit a more pleasant one?

She looked just as shocked to seeout to touch h ht with it a rush of relief A sense of grounding Of belief that yes, there was another world beyond this dead realo… And I reed

"What happened to you?" I uess how she’d gotten down here

"Th-There was a fire in my and Aiden’s cabin--a fire that sparked so abruptly and spread so furiously, I didn’t even have a chance to escape And I became… this" Kailyn cast her eyes down upon her wispy for around The Shade for a while, but it was"--her voice broke--"just so painful to stay there To watch your grandfatherof my soul, elsewhere… beyond I left The Shade and drifted across the ocean I found sohosts who told aped at me "What happened to you, Ben?"

"Ben?" A voice spoke behind Kailyn It was Marcilla floating nearby, a look of confusion on her face "I thought his name was Joseph"

Kailyn turned to Marcilla and spoke to her with fa that my name was Benjamin and not Joseph The women must have met already

Kailyn turned back to me "What happened?" she pressed

As with my uncle, I was not in theto my mind after the torture I had endured Perhaps there would be time to explain it all later For now I just replied in a voice that was far lower than usual, "I’m not ready to talk about it"

Kailyn nodded slowly, understandingly, although there was heartbreak in her eyes "That’s all right," she whispered "But would you tell me what happened to you just now? You tried to escape?"

I eyed her warily and nodded

She shuddered "I tried too," she ht"