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"Why do you think your father would reset ti to mess it up?" Laylen asks with a pucker at his brow "It doesn’t ain, but a different kind of quiet, one where I know they’re all thinking the saets the balls to put it out there "Ge you up, do you? To maybe finish whatever it is he started withwith your father," I say coldly "He never said anything about that"

"He never saidthe back ofto keepthat he probably erased the vision and recreated things so the world would end for ivesyour father, trust me, I really do But sometimes ant the everyone in the roo about him" Alex’s hand drifts to my shoulder

But I shrug it off and get to my feet "I need some air" I hurry for the door and burst outside I hear Aislin say soo as I shut the door behindmy knees to my chest, rest my chin on them and stare at the stars

"Are you evil?" I wonder aloud, wishing to hear his voice again, but the only answer I get is silence and that leaveswith Stephan to end the world and usingat the stars for an eternity, I come to the conclusion that what I need to do is see the vision ed andfor the evil side or the good one If what he’s told me is true, it should be clear in the vision If not, then I won’t change it However, that still leaves the proble ball

I march into the house and pick it up fro atto do this--I have to If anything looks suspicious then I won’t change the vision, but I need to see it forhis head before I even finish He stands up, reaching to take the crystal ball from my hand, but I put it behind my back "You don’t even kno to use it," he says "Nicholas never explained anything to you other than how to get enough power to use it"

"Well, I can start by getting the power froo fro into the City of Crystal is risky enough not toit back--which I ure out how to use the power to get inside that thing"

"Maybe there’s another Foreseer we can ask," Aislin suggests, glancing at her phone as it vibrates "There has to be one that ht? Nicholas couldn’t be the only one"

"Involving another Foreseer wouldanother person, which is risky," Alex says "Besides, we don’t even knohat side the Foreseers are on?

"Maybe you could ask your father," Laylen says to o there again? You could alsoetic look

"I don’t know if I can when I went there the first time it was entirely by accident and he wouldn’t telldown on the coffee table and studying the crystal ball, still illu froht know so that could help" I check the clock on the wall, realizing it’s nearing et worried about her… Shouldn’t she be back by now?" I look at Aislin for an explanation

"I don’t know…o sos, but it’s a blasé shrug, like she doesn’t care, or knows so on?" I ask "You’ve been acting weird every tiether, looking everywhere but at me "She’s fine"

"I didn’t ask if she was fine," I tell her sternly "I asked what’s going on"

Again she refuses to speak, so Alex intervenes, "What exactly did she say on the phone?" he asks his sister

Aislin shakes her head, her lips starting to quiver "I don’t know I don’t re toward her "What did she say?"

"I don’t want to tell you!" Aislin cries, dropping her head into her hands to hide her tears "If I do then you’ll just go and try to save her, and I can’t take any more of it!"

"Anyyour life all the time" She lifts her head back up and her eyes are red from the tears "Dad’s crazy, et that it’s our job and everything to protect the world but seriously I need a god damn break You’ve already died once"

"You can remember that?" Alex and I say simultaneously

She nods, her face contorted with confusion as she dabs tears froertips "Yeah… I actually can as of now"

Alex and I trade a look "So on," he says

"It has to be fro it uiltier

"Then we need to either fix it," he says fir on"

I hold the crystal ball up "That’s what I’ to do, but Aislin needs to tell ht be the only one who can help us at the ives me a tolerant look, like he doesn’t want to do what he does next Still he sits down beside Aislin and puts his ar from, but this is what I--we do You’ve known that since ere three years old and father explained to us that ere Keepers We risk our lives and that’s how things are So please, just tell Geain "I’ to be nice"

"You can tell et her by myself"

"He won’t let you" She scowls in her brother’s direction "He’s too stubborn and cares for you too et the nastiest look froo there by e flares in Alex’s eyes as he rises to his feet, tall and sturdy, inti to--"

I stand up and put ainst my flesh "If I foresee there, he doesn’t have a choice You can have a tantrum but in the end, you can’t ue, because by the expression on his face, I can tell that he’s going to

His eyes darken and his voice drops to a firm, husky tone "I can always tie you to the bed and ht There’s Praesidiu it impossible for h that all he’d have to do is pick me up and carry be to the bed--he could tie me doith one hand And by the amount of intensity in his eyes, I can tell that he wants to do it and by the waybeneath my skin, I think part of me wants him to do it too