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She tipped her head back and smiled up at me "Hey"

"Hey" I stopped in theout here?"

"Can’t sleep," Alex said, running her hands over her thighs "I mean, I did for about an hour, but I woke up and couldn’t fall back I came out here so I wouldn’t wake anyone else up" She paused "You should still be sleeping"

"Yeah," I rass "Do you think that leads to cliffs or the beach?"

"Don’t know Want to find out?"

A weary sed at the corners of my lips "Sure"

Alex popped up faster than I would’ve expected, but then again, she was like the Terminator on crack We hit the worn path in silence A couple of minutes later, we discovered that it led to a cliff Not a sheer one like back at Malibu The path continued down the slope to a patch of sand and rock

Eyeing the hill, I decided I really didn’t want to climb back up So, I found a boulder and sat down "It’s really beautiful here"

"Yeah, it is" Alex’s hair lifted off her shoulder as she stared out into the sea "I think I could live so about a place we’d like to settle doe’re topside Right now, it’s wherever Deacon is, but we’d like to have our own place eventually"

"You’re thinking it ht be in California?"

One shoulder rose "Maybe Aiden would love soh"

"And you?"

Her whiskey-colored eyes met mine "I’d love wherever he’s at"

My heart turned over heavily She really meant that, and God, II would’ve felt the same ith Seth Wherever he was, I would be happy I still felt that way I just needed to get to the islands and hopefully convince hiaed We’ll do whatever--"

The sky cracked behind us, and we both moved in unison Everytono idea what to expect and preparingexcept what I saw

Chapter 7

My heart stuttered as I recognized thebefore us An eternity could pass, and I would never forget the curved pitch-black eyes, the shaved head, or the shade of skin that was neither black or white or tan

I’d never forget Hyperion

"Oh crap," Alexclicked into place My wild gaze gauged the distance between hie told me that, even if the home were only a few feet away, it wouldn’t asus blade on Seth The re blades were most likely inside the house, with Gable who could not be seen by Hyperion And I had no idea how to entoe also told ht

"Miss ht powered down hed darkly "Oh, but I’ve missed you"

Terror trickled down my spine as I tapped into the aether Power flickered inside ed Alex

Brandishing blades she must’ve had hidden on her, she widened her stance I noticed one of theasus blade "Never"

"You should listen to her," Hyperion warned

"And you should stop talking," she spat back

His lips curled into a cruel smile as he focused on me "I have a bone to pick with you, Sunshine After our last well-spent tiether," he said, and I flinched, "I had to piece ether, and that was not pleasant"