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If I could topple the statue, maybe the arht Si that if I succeeded, Gabriel was gone for good He shoved Michel off and rushed me in a blur of supernatural speed

But I was already falling Gabriel and I crashed to the ground to the sound of his father’s roar One stone arm broke at the elbow, the other at the wrist I scrambled back, the hands still attached around my neck as Simon plowed into me We rolled One marble hand renched free in the roll Simon ended up on top of h over eon ot the best of rabbed on to the stone ar if you were in his sights My father’s face was hard and griainst Simon’s His other hand went to shove his knife into Simon’s throat when Mandeville appeared at my father’s side, a blade pressed between his ribs My father was still going to do it, to save me, but I shook h his ribs and into his heart, and I had no idea if that blade had the power to end my father’s life or not

Simon’s eyes burned with hatred "You took so "I will do the same Go to her house," he told Mandeville "Search it for any sign of the Hands Kill anyone inside"

"No!" I struggled, but he pinned me with the stone arm as Mandeville released my father and disappeared in a haze of speed

My father made a move to slice Sihtthe blade before it could sink deep enough to kill Siood-bye to your friends"

In a blur, he was gone My father collapsed overthe pavement He pushed himself back up as Sebastian appeared like a deht for us

Jesus

I scra into the building across the street "The kids," I told hione to the GD"

Sebastian grabbedin a tuave out His head hung low and he was shaking, but he pushed to his feet I caught his hand and together we ran the rest of the way, hoping like hell Si like hell the kids weren’t hos burned My muscles hurt so bad I wasn’t sure how I stayed on rew the closer we came, and I heard the distinct crackle of fire

Oh God The house was burning

I drew up short in the street out front The sound of things being sed in my throat, I ran for the house, but Sebastian held ulfed in flames Not one of the kids A vah the flaered across the pavement and collapsed in the middle of the road

A faint moan from across the street drew my attention No Crank’s truck lay upside down in a dented heap, against the neighboring fence I raced over, shouting her na her naht with him

I dropped to my knees at the driver’s-side door, which was now only a few inches off the ground It was enough forher belt "Crank! Jenna!" Moveer-seat crease She was sandwiched somewhere between the fronts seats

"Crank! Hold on, we’re co!"

Metal creaked and er side and eased down into the leddown to search for Crank

"Is she okay?" He didn’t answer "Da, "is she okay?"

She had to be okay

SEVENTEEN

MICHEL ARRIVED AS WE TRIED to get Crank out of theSebastian shoved the back door down and clilile and her arms wrapped around her middle

No matter how many times we said her name, she didn’t respond

"We shouldn’t ht be broken in her spine or neck "Can you tell what’s wrong?" There were too le my way next to him and see her completely

He shook his head "But it looks bad"