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"Do you bla around out here?"

"Maybe"

"So why don’t you put your running shoes on and get to the point?"

Aiden laughed under his breath, but the faint smile disappeared when he looked over at ht now"

"Do you really?"

"Yeah, I do" His gaze was unwavering "When she was connected to you, it was like she was lost to h, but it wasn’t the worst When she was stabbed and actually died inI could do? I held her and watched her bleed all over ain

"Then when Alex faced off with Ares at the University, and I could hear every single thing he was doing to her but I couldn’t get in there to help her? I never felthelpless in e, but the terror consuone, taken to Olympus to heal I was held immobile by that terror And I don’t think I need to explain how I felt when Alex died in your arain"

I jerked a little

"So, yeah, I get what you’re feeling I know that every second feels like an hour and every hour feels like a year I get that you feel like you should be doing soet her back, but at the sa you can do" He exhaled heavily as he straightened "I still don’t like you"

I laughed at that

"But I don’t hat you’re going through on anyone," he added, turning toward ladly burn down every city to get her back

Aiden clappedfrom the Guards, you’ll be the first to know"

"Thank you" The tords were easier to speak than before

"Get some rest" He stepped back "Or at least try to"

I nodded, but as soon as he crossed the balcony, I closed ht Tomorrowto I didn’t want to really think about at the moment The void opened up and I didn’t expect--holy shit! There! I felt Josie, felt her entire being, and I could catch the scent of pine and rich soil as if I was standing in the forest instead of by the ocean I saw her imprint, and I knew I could latch onto it

"Aiden" I spun, eyes wide "I feel her"

"What?" He whipped around "Josie?"

"Yes I feel her Holy fuck, I feel her She’s there" It was like a burning light inside o"

"Wait" Aiden hurried back "Take ht? This could be a trap You know that"

I supposed it could be If it was a trap, I’d explode every single one of them, but I had to be s, you go to her You get her out of there Go anywhere I’ll find you and bring you back here"

He gave a curt nod

Wrapping ain, and then willedwith me It only took seconds to move from the balcony and discover that ere obviously on the other side of the world, under a canopy of thick elrunted, stuht"

I stepped forward, scanning the trees and ground asoff left and right We weren’t alone There was so a moss-covered tree that had been snapped at the trunk and had fallen over, I scanned the area and kept all senses on high alert