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In the dark, Caine could still pretend that she was her old self Beautiful Diana But he knew that her luscious dark hair was brittle and tinged with rust Her skin was sallow and rough Her ars unstable pins She didn’t look fourteen anyive it a try," Caine said without prea, Caine," Diana whispered "He’s never been to the island"

"He read about it in soh "Bug read aHe sat still, trying not to think, trying not to re not to wish there had been o to Sam," Diana said "Give ourselves up They won’t kill us So they’ll have to feed us"

"They will kill us if we give ourselves up Not Sam,out the lights Sam won’t be able to stop them If not freaks like Dekka or Orc or Brianna, then Zil’s punks"

The one thing they still had at Coates was a pretty good idea of as going on in town Bug had the ability to walk unseen He was in and out of Perdido Beach every few days, sneaking food for hi And supposedly reading torn azines he didn’t bother to sneak back to Coates

Diana let it go Sat quietly Caine listened to her breathing

Had she done it? Had she co it on hi hiet later that her lips had eaten that o on, Caine?" Diana asked "Why not just lie down and die Or you…you could…"

The way she looked at hi to do that"

"You’d be doing me a favor," Diana whispered

"You can’t We’re not beat yet"

"Yeah I wouldn’t want to miss this party," Diana said

"You can’t leave , Caine All of us Into town to be taken out one by one Or stay here and starve Or step outside as soon as we get our chance"

"I saved your life," he added, and hated hi "I…"

"You have a plan," Diana said dryly Mocking One of the things he loved about her, that mean streak of mockery

"Yeah," he said "Yeah I have a plan"