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"Is she hoht now?" I start to head toward their front door

He shakes his head and I stop and back up toward ," he says

Without saying goodbye, I sprint into my house and up to the attic door I hammer my fist on it, but Ian doesn’t answer, so I shove the door open and burst into his studio "Ian, are you in here?"

The lights are on and Syste from the stereo on the floor Canvas and sketches cover the walls, paint stains the wood floor, and the ovalis covered by a black sheet It s I’ve smelt many times in Ian’s studio

"Daainst the edge of the sill, and throw it in a cup of water on a stool I turn to leave but notice a large canvas in the corner, covered with another black sheet and I tug it off, letting it float to the floor

It’s a picture of Raven lying in thea black cape over her head Blood drips from her mouth and the corners of her eyes Grasped in her hand is an elass and underneath her body is a red X On the botto in red, it says: Alyssa, please forgive me

"What the fuck is this? She’s not… No, she couldn’t be…" Shakingon the door "Ian, open up the door I know you’re in there!" I haainst the door "I can sle the knob and rattle the door "Ian, open up the door You’re worrying rab a bobby pin fro back to Ian’s room I crouch down in front of the shut door and work the pin until I hear the lock click Standing up, I push the door open and sh and then let out a frustrated sigh at Ian sprawled on the bed, wearing pajama bottoms and a ratty T-shirt, and there’s a photo clutched in his hand

Fanning the s at it, I know it’s a photo of Alyssa Even with his eyes shut, his torture and guilt is written all over his face and Cameron’s words reply in my mind: What if I told you I could take away every ounce of pain you have and would ever feel?

I take the photo from Ian’s hand and flip it over Death made me do it, Alyssa, and I’el

The next Angel? He can’t be talking about… No, Ian didn’t kill her It’s not possible I struggle not to rip the photo into pieces and set it down on the dresser, and then I give Ian a soft shake "Wake up, Ian We need to talk"

But he’s passed out, stoned out of his et my phone I need to talk to Raven and find out if she’s still here, or if the Reapers have gotten a hold of her again But when I enterfeels off, like the air is unbalanced

Everything looks normal, except for myis open and a black feather is ruffled on aze lands on the wall across fro

In separate fields of black feathers, the birds fly