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"Why would they have Dawson? They told us he was dead Obviously Bethany isn’t, but that doesn’t er flashed in Daes, would you ’get it out of your head’?"

"All s are dead" Matthew stalked across the roouys are all I have left, and I will not stand by and huet you killed or worse!"

Dae a deep breath "You’re family to us, too And Dawson also considered you faht eyes, and he looked away "I know I know" Hehis head "Honestly, it would be best if he weren’t alive, and you know that I can’t even i about it" Daemon paused "And if he’s truly dead, then…"

Then what kind of closure would that be? They’d already believed he was dead, and finding out that it wasn’t the Arum would rip open old wounds and dump salt on them

"You don’t understand, Daemon The DOD would have no interest in Bethany unless…unless Dawson healed her"

Blake had been saying this all along The confir, Matthew?" Dae up with the cluelessness

Matthew rubbed his broincing "The elders…they don’t talk about e’re not allowed to heal huood reason It’s forbidden, not only because of the risk of exposure on our end, but because of what it does to a hulanced at me "Do you knohat happens?"

He nodded "It alters the hu his or her DNA with ours There has to be a true want for it to work, though The human takes on our abilities, but it doesn’t always stick Sometie backfires But if successful, it forms a connection between the two"

As Mattheent on, Daehtfully so "The connection between a hu is unbreakable at a cellular level It ether One cannot survive if the other perishes"

My mouth dropped open Blake had so not told me that, but that h, painful breath "Then if Bethany is alive…"

"Then Daould have to be alive," Matthew finished, sounding weary "If he had in fact healed her"

He had to have There was no other reason why the DOD would be interested in Bethany

Dae on itself Once again, I wanted to do so to comfort him, but what could I really do to make any of this better?

I shook my head "But you just said he couldn’t be alive"

"That washimself killed"

"Did you…did you know this the entire time?" Raw emotion filled Dae all control "Did you?"

Matthew shook his head "No No! I believed both of thee her--and she’s alive, then he has to be alive That’s a big if--an if based on whether or not Katy really did recognize so in the firelight "My brother’s alive He’s…he’s alive" He sounded nued in a shallow breath "What do you think they’re doing to him?"

"I don’t know" Matthew stood unsteadily, and I wondered howbefore we arrived "Whatever it is, it can’t be…"

It couldn’t be good And I had a sinking suspicion According to Blake, the DOD was interested in acquiring oal than capturing a Luxen and forcing him to do it? Bile rose But if it took a true want to successfully change a human, how could Dawson truly want to heal the to those hue didn’t stick, they were horribly mutated, or they died My God, what could that do to a person--to Dawson?

"The DOD knows, Matthew They knoe can do," Dae"

Matthew’s lashes swept up, and he met Daemon’s stare "I’ve never truly believed they didn’t, to be honest The only reason I never voiced my belief is because I didn’t want any of you to worry"

"And the elders--do they know this, too?"

"The elders are just grateful to have a place to live in peace and be basically separated fro, Dae, they probably choose to not believe our secrets aren’t safe" Matthew glanced at his elass "It’s…easier for them"