Page 85 (1/2)

Si to react, and he turned tome as he demanded, "Youyou did this" It wasn’t a question because, of course, he’d seen the truth with his oo eyes

He looked stunned, andI was capable of, e heard Tyler He exhaled, releasing a gut-wrenching gurgle

And like that, I was no longer concerned with Sient Truman or even my dad I dropped beside Tyler as blood trickled froht, even as I was silently screa not yetnot yetnot yet!

"Tyler," I whispered, leaning as close to hiet so no one else could hear us My windpipe felt crushed, and it was hard to s My eyes ached

He was burning up again, but I guess none of that mattered anymore It would soon be over He’d be at peace "I’ht here" I reached for his hand, no longer worried about hurting him, and his eyelids fluttered open

He tried to focus, but his sightless eyeshiaveleft to do I’d taken hiht desperately Maybe if we all triedent Tru at his eet hio with you" I pointed to the place where the fireflies had been just a few short o

But the rocky peak was dark now The fireflies were gone

Besidefroasped, he choked on it, and then choked so, and soon it would be over

"What the--"

I didn’t knohat Agent Tru to say, but Tyler’s hand suddenly eaker in rew frail and reedy

"Kyra" My dad tried to get istered How could I care? How could anything elsehiht passed over the top of nore it, but it was far too radiant to be overlooked Still holding Tyler’s hand, because I wasn’t ready to say good-bye, I glanced skyward; and when I did,this close-up The fireflies They were so close I could single out individual clusters of the tiny, glowing insects It wasn’t like before when they’d appeared to be one enorroups that had all co in unison

And they were positively breathtaking