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You have another session with Dr Hennessy this evening Sorry for the late notice He only called ht you were sick, so I told him no Then I ran into Shannon, as better and on his way to class He reminded me you were better, too, and already there, so I called the doctor back Glad you’re feeling better I’ll expect you to do your chores after school On another note, I’ve hired a new tutor, and she’s coht to meet you boys It’ll be after your therapy session, so no worries Even though she won’t be teaching you, I’d like you to be there to help welcome her

Dan

Great More Dr Hennessy And another tutor? Aden flicked Tholance Would the next tutor be a fairy, too? Even the harbinger of death that Thoht, he supposed Aden crumpled the paper and tossed the wad in the trash can

"So what happened to you?" Mary Ann asked, and he knehat she oblin took a bite out ofbut what he’d learned about Shannon’s past That was Shannon’s secret to share He no longer cared about Tho hat he learned

"I’ and bowing his head "I take full responsibility for your ordeal"

"I’" The denial slipped from him automatically "And the responsibility lies with " Such a stiff, for like this will happen again"

Aden rolled his eyes "You’re such a jerk, Riley"

Victoria wrapped her arainst his shoulder, her body hot as fire "You’ve been injured tooto die soon"

"What?" The single word exploded froriot another non-fairy-tale to weave" Sighing, Aden explained about Elijah’s prediction That soon Aden would die on a darkened street, a knife in his heart Though he tried, he couldn’t keep the fear from his voice

"Oh, Aden," Mary Ann said, tears in her eyes "I already knew, but still It’s--"

"You knew? You knew and you didn’t tellme updated, sweetheart" Riley practically vibrated with sardonic rage

"First, I only found out the other day And second, we had other things on our minds," she snapped "I planned to tell you after this week from hell was over"

The wolf accepted the explanation with a stiff nod "You won’t be hurt on my watch, that I swear"

"Thank you" Later, Aden would tell hi could be done--and yeah, he’d once planned to try so hiet the wolf’s hopes up Later, though Always later As Mary Ann had said, they had enough to worry about during this week fro the subject He walked Victoria to the bed, sat down and pulled her down on his lap After everything he’d just endured, he wasn’t ready to let her go Thankfully, she cuddled close, unconcerned by their audience

"We go to school," Riley said, still fighting his e every creature in town knoe have a witch in our custody Which ht Use today to catch up in all your classes Tooing to be a fight Great Worse, there was nothing else they could do right now Except wait And hope And pray

THROUGHOUT THE DAY, Aden expected a witch to jump out of every shadow and a A rabid gno a play for his head

Instead, he arrived at school in time for lunch, ate, attended his next three classes, and boo happened

Aden was almost disappointed in the lack of combat Just two more days until the death curse affected his friends Tas too close for co

Victoria walked him home and left him at the ranch, as silent and distracted as he was In his rooet to do his chores or his therapy Like he could Aden headed to the barn to muck the stables and feed the horses He loved the horses and hated that he hadn’t spent much time with theood behavior, Dan let hio for a ride

The souls loved the horses, too, and cooed at the beautiful ani norside him Redheaded RJ, punked-out Seth Shannon, Ryder, Terry and Brian RJ was due to turn eighteen next week, and Terry soon after that Aden had heard the a place of their own Dan had asked them both to stay, to continue their studies, but the tere deteret their GEDs and be "free"

What was freedoht he knew the answer: to be alone, without the souls, to be able to do anything he wanted, dairlfriend, and everything he did affected them Consequencesas they loved, and life wasn’t worth living without love So freedom? Overrated He’d much rather have Victoria, Mary Ann and Riley, even the souls

So how are you going to save theht was his own, the souls still baby-talking at the horses--and maybe the horses could hear them, because they were calmer than usual, even with all the activity in the barn--and he wished he could blank his hed Once issued, spells took on a life of their own, he knew So he couldn’t stop thethe witch they had locked up

Hell, oodwill Riley would throw a fit, of course, but he would do what Aden told hi, after all