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I didn’t knohat to do He had said trust hihast enough to tell ht be possible "That’s inhuman!"

"She’s a demon!" Oliver shouted "Human morality doesn’t apply to her!"

A thue, and everyone cowered as the shi ever-after pulsed Ivy had ripped a chair from the floor and thrown it She looked wild, eyes black, shaking with anger given free rein Oliver gave the incensed valance "Can you do it?" he asked Trent

Pierce was being restrained I knew he could break frolanced at hi My heart thudded Trust hiineI’d never be able to return, I’d never see the sun-unless this was part of his plan How bad had it been, I wondered, when he had been a demon’s slave? How h at hter!" my mother screamed, and Trent twitched He’d been named His secret was out But I didn’t think it hter’s ears undocked The elves were coeneration He’d given me a say in it Or had it all been a lie?

Oliver shifted intoatviolently "Form a collective! We do this now!"

"Oliver! We need to think about this!" Vivian demanded as she confronted him, but Oliver motioned for security, and she was restrained

"You are outvoted," Oliver said with satisfaction "Put her with coven member Pierce"

I felt sick, unable to move It wasn’t the plastic straps with the char; it was Trent He had said to trust hio quietly, but I didn’t knohy!

The light from above was eclipsed as security shoved me into a circle one of the junior coven members had sketched and I fell to my knees Trent’s shadow lay heavily oniving my unvoiced fear a sound "T-Trent?" I stammered He could do it He said he had a curse, and I believed he could do it He’d been dropping elven wild ic the entire trip, and apparently he had a new trick to show me

"Betray me, and I’ll never rest until you’re dead," I vowed,before hirabbedme up as the crowd shouted its approval Not as far frouess

"I’ve got a dereen eyes turbulent as his wild ers and sent tendrils of power I couldn’t use throughit since the arch fell Ku’Sox gave it toto h, I think it ork on"

Ku’Sox? I went cold, the h in heven as excitement sparked froic And noanted to give ht deain

Trent leaned in closer, his hand light on ive it to you, you can-"

"No!" I cried, rabbed et a lobotoony exploded in uards in Alcatraz had gottenI looked up, finding Trent staring down at me, his brow pinched, his unsaid words sed in frustration

"Curse her," Oliver said as I tried to breathe "And hurry up about it," he added

Squinting in pain, I looked up when Trent’s shadow fell over et you killed," he said, his expression gri when I refused to cooperate "As I was saying, take the bloody curse and give it back to Ku’Sox"

My muscles went slack, and my mouth opened in an O of surprise Give it to Ku’Sox? That wouldet old-tinted wash of ever-after sprang up around us, and as the watching people chanted in unison to show their collective spirit, I felt the tingle of wild elvenht I could hold hiically overesti my abilities?

Trent was inside the circle with ainst it when he shoved me back down "No," I pleaded, an to chant, low and under his breath as he gathered hisslohen a wave of lassitude spilled intoover and over in ic Oh no

It proht it, lare My soul hurt and needed to heal Too much had happened, and I wanted it all to be over That’s what the ht its peace

My head bowed, and Trent knelt beforein words I couldn’t understand, his beautiful voice rising and falling so softly, it was only for me to hear A tear slid down my face, a tear for all that I hadn’t done, that I should have done differently Regret But it didn’t ainstanymore

"Rachel?" he breathed, and I lifted my head, nu a hand on ently fro like tattered silk atopI’d been stupid to trust hih ere surrounded by hundreds bearing witness to the event

"Because you’re the only one who can," he said, and I stiffened as the curse began to soak in,intoa place a themselves in my soul A smut-tainted wash of ever-after coated me, and as I heard the howls of the crowd beco pulled into a ley line And yet Trent gripped my shoulder, not done with ly face shi behind Trent’s circle

"The first part shifts the curse," Trent said, talking to Oliver, but looking atmy shoulder so hard it hurt "It’s the second one that severs it fro me how to do the curse, but I could hardly focus on hiic and aze found , leaning on Ivy, who stood stoically as her heart broke Seeingher and striding forward

"Give thee of the bubble, tears strea down her face "I’m proud of you!"

Trent yanked ered, ht "I curse you, Rachel Mariana Morgan, to be fixed to the reality I banish you to There you are cursed to reht, forever bound as a deot all that? Want ive it to Ku’Sox Should I be pissed or ht? "Okay," I said numbly, and a hint of a smile flickered in his eyes My jaw tre hi

"Just so you know, I’ve trusted you since camp," Trent said, then shouted drao, and it was as if I was sucked into ed disjointedness of the San Francisco lines tookht Trust me, Trent had said I wanted to But to risk death to curse Ku’Sox? Why should I even bother?

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