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Guilt chewed at me with small, razor-sharp teeth "I’ a crappy friend?"

In a second, anger flashed throughto be a crappy friend, Dae You’re the one who told me to keep her out of this Just tell Dee I’e was in his voice "No"

"Can we not talk?"

"And that would also be a no"

But he didn’t say anything else while he gave hn lived I parked the car halfway between the suspected six houses, grateful that my ain "How has your training been going?"

"If you got over yourself, you’d know"

He ss? Move objects around?" When I nodded, his eyes narrowed "Have you had any unexpected outbursts of power?"

Besides the wholeBethany, I hadn’t "No"

"Then why are you still training? The whole purpose was for you to get control You have"

Wanting to bang roaned "That’s not the only reason, Daemon And you know that"

"Obviously I don’t," he retorted, pushing back against his seat

"God, I love how you’re all up in my personal business but don’t want to be involved in it"

"I like talking about your personal business It’s usually entertaining and always good for a laugh"

"Well, I don’t," I snapped

Daeet comfortable "This car sucks"

"It was your idea I, on the other hand, think the car is a perfect size But that ht be because I’m not the size of a mountain"

He snickered "You’re the size of a little, itty bitty doll"

"If you say a vacant doll, I will hurt you" I wound the necklace chain around ers "Got that?"

"Yes,to just be angry with hi to explainwould cohed "You’re worn down Dee’s worried She won’t stop buggingout with her anys tobonus points for asking?" I asked before I could stop rasp, forcing me to look at him And when I did, I couldn’t breathe His eyes churned "I’m worried I’m worried for a thousand different reasons and I hate this--I hate feeling like I can’t do anything about it That history is on repeat and even though I can see it as clear as day, I can’t stop it"

His words opened up a hole in ht of Dad When I was little and would get upset, usually over so stupid like a toy I wanted, I could never really put my frustration into words Instead, I’d throw a fit or pout And Dad…he always said the sa

Use your words, Kitty-cat Use your words

Words were the most powerful tool Simple and so often underestimated They could heal They could destroy And I needed to usethe jolt that touching hiave me

"I’m sorry," I whispered

Dae--about not hanging out with Dee and being a terrible friend to Lesa and Carissa" I took a deep breath and gently pulled his hand away I looked out the windshield, blinking back tears "And I’et why you don’t want me to I really do I understand that you don’t want er and that you don’t trust Blake"

Daeainst the seat and I forced myself to continue "Most of all, I do know you fear that I’ to end up like Bethany and Dawson--whatever really did happen to them--and you want to protectthat it hurts you, but you’ve got to understand why I need to be able to control and use lanced at him and when he nodded, I took another breath "This isn’t just about you and what you want Or what you’re afraid of This is about me--my future and my life Granted, I didn’t knohat I wanted to do with e, but now I face a future where if I step out of the range of the beta quartz, I’er if an Arum sees and follows me home And then there’s this whole DOD mess"

I squeezed my hand around the obsidian "I have to be able to defend myself and the people I care about Because I can’t expect you to always be there to protect ht or fair to either of us That’s why I’et with hi it so that I can stand beside you, as your equal, and not be so this for myself, so that I don’t have to rely on anyone to savehis eyes Seconds passed in silence and then he said, "I know I knohy you want to do this And I respect that I do" There was a "but" co I could feel it in my bones "But it’s hard to stand back and let this happen"