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Chapter Twenty-Three

Dorian and I popped into the realm of the dead It was overcast: thick, miserable clouds stood at a standstill above us Spiny tree branches crawled toward the sky as if searching for sunlight that would never coainst ainst the barren ground and echoed off the rubble surrounding us It was such a cheerless place; a broken doorld within a world I wondered how the spirits saw it Surely their heaven wouldn’t be so hellish And those bound for hell, well, I couldn’t iet

Dorian clasped ether we made our way across the dirt-covered stretch of land The probleo As alked, I tried to think of the directions the aveDorian’s head swiveled as he appraised the layout Soft wails carried on the breeze and filled my ears There were two possible culprits for the eerie moans: a sorrowful spirit or a deht about my question I studied the land with eyes like a hawk Ghosts I could deal with, but I didn’t want a deure, a ed his feet against the ground as if taking another step was tooin our direction and hisnore him," Dorian said

Easier said than done His face was scrunched up as if in constant pain, his eyes big and pleading for escape from what ailed him As much as I wanted to be the one to save him from his personal hell I knew I couldn’t Whatever he’d done in his life, he was now paying for in the afterlife Nocould break his punishment

"There’s a forest of sorts north of here There are hills there" Dorian pointed in the direction, and if I squinted just right, I could ainst the horizon

"It’s going to take forever to reach it"

"Then I suggest we start running"

I don’t kno long we had been running when I had to stop for a breather I bent over, resting my hands onThe mounds wereStanding, I placed my hands on my hips My chest rose and fell heavily The air here wasn’t as substantial as it was in the natural realht to capture asfrom the exertion

"We’ll save her, Gwen"

I looked over at Dorian He wasn’t even breathing hard

"I see the doubt all over your face If you start thinking you failed before you even start, then you will fail Keep a strong ht, but keeping a stronga switch I knehat the VC and Holly were capable of and how fond they were of breaking the rules

"I’ll try," I responded "I mean…I have to believe she’s okay I just can’t accept anything less"

We startedso I could catch my breath I hated I was the weak link in our team Had it not been for me, Dorian could have reached the forest in no time

"Tell me about her"

I kept my eyes forward, focused on the hills I was so desperate to reach My an creeping in, I slapped it away, taking Dorian’s advice She’ll be okay

"She was six the last time I saw her," I said My eyes filled with tears, and I tried to hold them back as best as I could "It’s sad to think I only knew her for so short of time, but I miss her every day Every year when her birthday rolls around I send her a birthday card I don’t know if she receives it, or if o" A tear crawled down ht cheek Rebekah’s face filled reen eyes," I laughed softly "I use to compare them to Lifesavers because when she was excited or surprised they’d get just as big" My words fell froht tortured "

Dorian reached formy steps With the pad of his thumb, he brushed away the tears "That’s impossible I’m sure she’s wondered as h I was s, lifted by his words "I hope so, and thank you for being so corinned "That’s three ‘thank-you’s’ in less than a day I’h "Shut up and just enjoy it while it lasts"

"There’s the Gwen I know and lo…" Dorian cleared his throat, uncoain?"

I nodded, unable to speak Was he saying he actually lovedto use the well-known expression? I would worry about that later Right now, I needed to reach those hills