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"Write him a note," Riley continued as if there was no question of her course of action "Tell hioodbye That’s the only way to save hi else could have propelled her into action Tears filled her eyes, but she stopped stopping Riley fro and walked to her desk She wrote her dad a letter, telling hiet away for a little while and she’d call hiht and blame himself God, she hated herself just then
"All packed," Riley said, resolute
"My dad…he’s still in his room The fairy told him to stay there, no ht" She’d been home less than half an hour, but she’d checked on him twice Both times, he hadn’t heard her, hadn’t noticed her, had lazed
"I’ll contact Victoria and she’ll release him from the fairy’s compulsion Any other objections?"
"Yes No one knows Vlad is still alive What’s going to happen to Aden when everyone finds out? You need to stay here and protect him Or have you lost your loyalty to hiether, but she could still see the way his pupils expanded and retracted "No, I haven’t lost my loyalty to Aden No one else will, either Believethe beasts, and our people would now rather deal with Vlad’s wrath than Aden’s He’ll be fine Now, let’s go"
Gulping, she stood and faced hi she had to do "No," she whispered, then addedalone"
"Not just no, but hell, no" He slung the bag over his shoulder "Let’s go Together"
"I’ to allow Riley to give up everything for her, not when such an act would get him killed If not by her, then by the people he left behind Protecting her after the battle with the fairies was explainable She’d saved the day, defeated their adversary He’d felt obligated And yet still the others had growled and hissed at hiht then if Aden hadn’t stepped out and ordered theh, welcome him back into the fold Surely Unless Riley chose her over his brethren a second ti to hunt her
"I’, Riley If I stay and he’s hurt, I’ll blao alone"
"And just where will you go?" he snapped
She didn’t know, but she wouldn’t have told him if she had "It’s best if I keep that to myself"
He popped his jaw
"For both of us," she added, and had to fight a fresh spring of tears This is for the best Don’t forget
"Fine," he said, his knuckles white as they clutched the bag’s handles "Do it Go"
"I will" The words choked froers loose and anchored the heavy nylon in place "I guess this is goodbye, then" She turned away before the tears started falling and strode out of her bedroom Then stopped in the hall She couldn’t leave like this Couldn’t end things like this
Quickly she backtracked, pausing in front of a scowling Riley, grabbing hi his mouth to hers The kiss ift, hard and teased her with the wildness of his taste, the unwavering strength of his body Seconds passed, and she wished for eternity This was it The end Their last kiss She committed the roan, she released hiht sunlight
She threw her bag in the car Riley had stolen last night, recalling how he’d sped along the roads, whisking her from somewhere in Texas to Oklahoma in record ti
ADEN SAID NOTHING about his plans to Dan or the boys while they ate breakfast and discussed Ms Brendal and how she’d seemed to disappear exactly as Mr Thoive up on tutors entirely and try and enroll the other boys at Crossroads High with Aden and Shannon
They were, of course, excited
He said nothing as he gathered his books and backpack, the souls chattering inside his head--Calebhi out the flaws in each of Caleb’s ideas, and Elijah trying to figure out why he saw nored theh Even Shannon and the other boys reht his mood was
He didn’t knohat he’d tell the to worry about that now After everything that had happened, he was si, of course, when he took Victoria on their first official date He grinned He frowned Would evening never arrive?