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He stops in front of the doors, cupping his hands around his eyes and peeking through the glass "There’s enough light in there, right?"

I press ht for what?"

"To keep things out" He glances anxiously over his shoulder, terrified so

"It’ll keep the va about, is it?"

He shakes his head, kicks the door open, and hurries inside to the vacant lobby The walls are stained red with blood and pieces of lost papers and ruptured s litter the floor

"It’s the Day Takers, isn’t?"

He shuts the door

We lass doors, his eyes locked on the front of the building "Yeah, they’ve been tracking us ever since we left the hillside"

"Clear since the hillside," I say "Because they want to kill us? Wouldn’t I, I don’t know, repulse them just like with the vampires?"

His eyes are watered over as he shakes his head "No, they want you "

"What?" My voice thunders and Aiden quickly flings his hand over"The Day Takers wantis strident, his eyes about to tear up "Please don’t hate me, okay I did this to protect you"

"You know, I’ht be worse of a liar than I a ood"

"I don’t even kno they found out," he ot to you before they found out"

"Found out about what?"

"That you can ith the va "Look, if you’ll just come with me, we can find Xander--he can help you"

"Helpthat we caht know of a cure

"With taking it all away," he says "All that stuff, the lying, the hearing of the hearts--he can e--so they can never have you"

"Is that why you really brought e me and make it impossible for me to turn?"

"Juniper" He takesfor my life "Do you knoerful you are? Think about it You’re the one and only person who can ith the vahers can do that You’re basically invincible, and do you knoould happen if the wrong people found out about you? I ht I was a Higher," I let it slip out and watch how he reacts "And the Higher he putthe knife" More fear pours off him, more than all of The Colony members combined "Still want to savewords of hate, I’aze zips over my shoulder and I hear the crash of the door as it s my hair like a black veil around us His hands fall from my shoulders, but he surprises me when his heart hits a steady caluy says, his boots tapping against the floor as he struts in "I thought you’d make it a little harder than this Aiden I really did"

Aiden’s eyes narrow Honestly, I expected him to run away, like a coward, especially after what I just told him But he walks past me, towards the Day Takers When I turn around, I find they’re much different from what I pictured In fact, they remind me a lot of the vampires from the book, with their beautiful skin and flawless features I’d co They have color, liveliness, even if their hearts don’t beat There are five of theirl--but I wonder if there are more somewhere else Maybe these were just the ones sent to track uess I really can’t expect that ive it up, brother" The guy that speaks is tall and lean, with dark hair and eyes as black as ash And his pulse is as silent as my own

I stare at Aiden, shocked "He’s your brother?"

Aiden opens his mouth to explain, but then directs his attention back to his brother "She’s not going to turn," he says "She’s going to stay human"

His black eyes land on row all warlance from Aiden, to the others, and then back to hi to do yet," I say truthfully "Maybe if you could explain whatever this is," I gesture at the five of therins, eyes dark as he lets a laughing growl from his chest "Now that’s the Kayla I remember"

"You know me?" I point my knife at my chest

"Are you that surprised?" He raises his dark eyebrows

"Not really" I shake my head in all honesty "But who are you?"

"Sylas," he says, watchinga bell at all And I think he can tell "You haven’t gotten that far?"