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"Fine, if that’s what you want, then I’ll give hihs to herself, clasps my wrists, and shoves me away

I stuwith me the entire ti me, did you?" She elevates her hands to eyelevel and claps her pal behind me

I turn and my jaw drops Laylen He’s as frail as a Lost Soul, but not ht blue eyes are black, his skin pale, and his cheekbones are concaved

I htest movement "What did she do to you?" I flick a spider from his shoulder "Laylen, can you hear me?"

"I liberated him," Helena answers "This is his death, Gemma"

"No, this is the life you took" I whirl at her,"Otherwise he wouldn’t be here"

"True," she agrees "But he is a very beautiful Lost Soul"

"He’s not a Lost Soul" I shake

"Not quite, but soon," she replies greedily

I search his eyes for a spark of life, but he doesn’t blink, doesn’t breathe He doesn’t knoho he is--who I am--or where he is

"What do you want?" I turn back to the queen, choking on et you to free hiive up for him?" she asks intensely "How much does this boy mean to you?"

I’ve never been in this kind of a situation with Laylen Alex, yes Laylen, no But I look at it the same, because I care for Laylen just as much as I care for Alex

"You want ly, she shakes her head "No, not your soul You knoell as I do that I can’t just take it But there is a loophole"

Nervously, I note the chains on her wall, the Black Widows, and the forthco screams "There’s always a loophole, isn’t there?"

She stretches from her throne, taller than ever The spiders scuttle for her They start at her feet and spiral up her dress Her black fingernails point up to the ceiling and she laughs with glee "What I want from you Gemma is more than your soul"

I’ with a wall I fall flat on my face, in a pile of spiders Fro Banshee, its hair wispy and white and it moves like water It takes down Laylen His body smacks down onto the podiu across his body as if they own hiain and a thousand swooshes pack the chaht melts me as my body starts to revive I scream as I’m ripped apart from the inside out

Chapter 20

I jolt up, shrieking at the top of ainst ed and scratched I feel strange, but alive and in control My ht: Helena can’t take my soul without perh with it, didn’t you?" Nicholas asks from behind me

I pivot around and totter to my feet "I had to--I had to save Laylen"

"You’re always saving soainst the darkness of night "The problem is no one ever saves you" He eyes me over "What happened? Do you still have your soul? By your nervous de yes"

I insert ers into place "Yes, I still have ate the front yard

Hefor?"

"Laylen" I race to the driveway and check the front seat of his car It’s eot to be around here somewhere"

"So now it’s Laylen you’re worried about" He skids in the gravel "Tell me, do you ever worry about me like that?"

I blink at him "Seriously? I think you know the answer to that question" I revolve in a circle "Laylen! Can you hearat the roots "Laylen!" Tears leak from my eyes

"I could make you worry abouta beat "I’ve s before"

My hands fall heavily toabout?"

He rests his elbow on the car, his eyes penetrating underabout? I’ve asked you a million times why it is you always come to me for help and I think you know the answer"

"I can’t believe…" I let out a frustrated grunt and then surrender my hands in the air "You knohat? I don’t care I need to find Laylen"

He strides alongsideway" He dodges in front ofer at the tower "He’s up in his roo like a baby"

I sprint up the pathway and burst into the foyer My feet ha open the door He’s lying in his bed, his hands overlapping his stoe under his pallid skin and his body is nothing but bones

"Laylen," I choke, tenderly touching his arm A Black Widols out fro the bug across the rooainst the

His eyelids bolt open and he sucks in an i

"Oh my God" My hand presses over my heart "You’re alive"

Wide eyed, he nods He inspects his ars, his hands The color returns to his cheeks and his cheekbones start fill out His veins blend beneath his skin