Page 205 (1/1)

I gasp, but I can breathe this ocean like I breathe the air

"You once called me friend," says the whisper

"You--you were there" A thousandback to me "In November--with hosts of the in the moment they vanish But the o forgotten and buried beneath ed you," the whisper says quietly, and though his expression shows no sharet "Mine are not the actions of a friend I stole fro to the ocean, theI haven’t experienced since beforeyou, sparing you fro the pain of your parents’ deaths in your drea your pain But even your painful dreaht to take the in them You needed them, and I took the h the his head back and looking up at the dome of the whisper’s prison "The others believe there is no hope for your kind, that the bursts of violence they cause, your Fury, it h your species is capable of horrors, it’s capable of beauty, too To end it noould be no better than taking your drea death robs your species of the chance to heal"

I reach up to dashthat I feel for this wretched creature wearing Flynn’s face, hating that I can no longer fight without feeling Hating that noonder if I ever did "I want Flynn back," I say, voice cracking "If you can see my heart, then you know I need him"

"Your bond with this vessel is why I chose hi tears in ain "He’s a person He’s smart, and kind, and braver than you could ever understand, and you’ve gone in and taken hi"

"Are you in love with this vess--this person?"

I gape at hiuard The absurdity of the question here, in the bowels of a secret research facility, conversing with a creature froht the hysterical irave, so serious, that the urge fades and I’ht and painful

"I--I don’t know," I whisper I remember the shape of his heart and e "But I wanted the chance to find out"

Flynn’s eyes flicker He’s here now, the creature had said I sishing I could shout at hi him to come back tohis mind But if you destroyed my connection, our connection, with him…perhaps then he would be left whole"

"Destroyed," I echo stupidly "You mean--"

"I want you to kill us, Jubilee Chase"

The words knock the air froasped a few breaths

The creature inside Flynn watches n of my reaction "I do not wish to become like the others, to fall into violence and despair, into pain We aren’t built for it We can’t stand it"

"And you think we can?" I choke back a sob "Life is pain We’re all in pain, all the tis this universe has to offer," says the creature "Light Life Touch Sensation The way you are all ments of stardust, and yet you are all so different, all so alone"

"You think being alone is a good thing?"

"For us it’s agony," he says sith in individuality We adaze back at hi to see traces of the creature inside Flynn as he bows his head But all I can see are Flynn’s cheekbones, hisabout hier inside him except for the e over "Are you sure?" I say softly "Maybe there’s soo so you can…" But ives out I can see the creature’s answer in Flynn’s features

"Our keeper’s y We are a part of it" Flynn takes a step toward ether and you will destroy us with it And without our interference, forced to keep this world secret, always hidden, you can broadcast your story to the stars Begin your healing, perhaps Prove your species deserves life"

"But all those things you said were good about this universe The things you could experience Light and--and touch…" My voice gives out

Flynn’s shaking his head slowly "We have no desire to live without hope of returning home I wish…to rest"