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Oh, boy, this chick was cracked like Hu er be kept He knows that He keeps catching ame where no one really wins I cohed "You really shouldn’t be here They will see you They will take you"

"I know" I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans "Beth, we can--"

"Don’t trust hi around the room "I did I trusted him with my life, and look what happened"

"Who? Blake?" Not like she needed to tell me that "Look, you can co her head "You can’t do anything forout to her "We can help you, protect you We can get Dawson back"

"Dawson?" she said, eyes going wide

I nodded, hoping I’d found the key to make her listen to me "Yes, Dawson! We know he’s alive--"

Bethany threw up her hand, and a burst of hurricane-strength winds sla h force I swore I heard plaster crack And I stayed there, pinned several feet off the ground, ing up Dawson’s na to do

Shebelow y strands of hair lifted off her shoulders, spreading out around her like a round as the outline of her body blurred, swathed in a bluish light Within seconds, she was eye level withlike that

"There is no hope forthe kid voice "I’m not even sure there is any hope for you So you should leave here, take your chances with the Arum, or you’ll end up like me"

Icy fear trickled down my spine "Bethany…"

"Listen todown as her head nearly touched the vaulted ceilings "Everyone is a liar The DOD?" She laughed, a high-pitched giggle "They don’t even knohat they plan They are co about?" I tried to peel e "Beth, who is coht enveloped her coo NOW!"

I suddenly dropped fro the floor in front of the door with a loud grunt Scra to my feet, I whipped around

Bethany looked just like a Luxen, except her light was blue and less intense She floated over the ceiling, her voice picking up in y nudgedme much of a choice At the top of the stairs, I spun around and tried one more time "Bethany, we can--"

She slid down the wall and lifted both hands Before I could scream, I tipped over the top step and fell backward down the steep stairs I stopped a foot above the landing, bouncing in air as if I were hooked to a bungee cord

My feet swung down onto the landing, and I was suddenly standing

Go, her voice urged Get far away fro by the ti steadily, coating the streets I needed to get hoot stuck I had bad tires, no match for more than an inch of snow And I really didn’t want to break down out here These were the things I was busy thinking about I had to keep everything else at bay until I could get hoet there without running off the road and s headlights sped up in the other lane, going in the direction I’d just coled The SUV’s tires squealed as it spun around, rushing up behindat the dashboard It was close to ht

Daenored the calls, focusing on the ever-increasing lack of visibility due to the snow The moment I parked inopen the door

"Where in the hell were you co back frooing?"

He glared down atback fro myself that you can’t be that stupid"

My look matched his as I sto, I guess that means you’re stupid, too"

"You seriously went there, didn’t you?" He sounded incredulous as he followed me inside "Please tell me that’s not where you were That you were just out for a ht drive"

I shot hihn’s"

Several moments went by as he stared at ing to his cheeks "You’re insane"