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"I will return for what is inside you," the woth when Connor lunged blade first after her

"You fucking bitch!" Stacey screa to her back

Connor tackled Rachel and twisted along the ground with her Stacey struggled for a clean shot, but as the unbearable chillto pass out

Just as blackness began to narrow her vision, Rachel reared up and provided a perfect target

Ais, Stacey fired one round after another, e the clip into Rachel’s brutalized body The wohing

As Stacey lost consciousness, that laugh followed her into oblivion

Chapter 15

"How are you doing, champ?" Connor asked, as he settled onto Stacey’s couch next to Justin and handed hi" Dark shadows rimmed the boy’s dilated eyes and his skin bore unhealthy pallor--

signs of shock A lock of brown hair fell over his brow, er than his fourteen years

"I’ll get you another blanket"

The front door was open, al’s o to his roonored television, because it made him feel safe to be surrounded by so ratitude on Justin’s face hit Connor hard The Elders would pay for what happened tonight

Dearly

"You’re welco to his feet, Connor moved toward the hallway and Justin’s rooiven a dose of propranolol in the chopper and he would continue to take the medication four tiet"

was still experimental, but clinical trials offered hopeful results and Connor had his fingers crossed the drug would work its ic on Justin

The boy would still remember the events, but the emotions behind the memories would not be there His recollections would be detached fro him an objective observer more so than an eht would help with the rest

Connor was just opening the bedroom door when Aidan stepped out of Stacey’s bedroo

"She’s stable, although still unconscious" Aidan stepped closer "There’s so in her brain, Bruce It’s sn There’s no telling how her body will react to it over tiainst the wall and sucked in a deep breath

"Fuck… azed at his friend helplessly

"Do we knohat it is?"

"She’s talking in her sleep--" Aidan winced, "--in the language of the Ancients"

" What?" Running a hand through his hair, Connor groaned "Hoe get it out of her head?"

"Medically, we can’t Not here in this plane, not without killing her Huy"

The door to the bedroom opened and a htened "Can I tell her son? Can he see her?"

"She’s lucid," the man said

"Tell her I’ll be there in a et Justin"

Aidan nodded and Connor hurried back to the living roo the sofa "Your mom’s awake"

"Can I see her?" Justin sat up fro on the coffee table

"Yeah, co him out from under the three or four blankets he had on and walked with him back to Stacey’s room

They entered the darkened space as quietly as possible Beside the bed, various hts Stacey lay bundled in the hten

"Hi, baby," she whispered to Justin, holding out her aran sobbing Stacey joined hi her teary cheek to the top of his head

The sightHe looked away and found Aidan by the door His friend gestured hilad to be distracted from the e hiut like a knife

"I spoke with her briefly," Aidan whispered "She says Rachel intends to return for that thing in her head Whatever it is, they think it’s safer with us than them"

Connor’s entire body tensed "Or else they think we’d destroy it if it weren’t inside soal’s men found Rachel"

"They didn’t" Aidan’s countenance was grave

"They’ve been searching the area since you left

There’s no trace of her Despite her injuries, she e," Stacey adlistening eyes and puckered her lips in a kissing gesture A low sound of longing rumbled in his throat