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Having no choice but to follow, I trudge after him as he heads out the door and down a translucent crystal path that leads to his chae paved with broken porcelain, underneath pillars, and through lofty silver doors where there’s geht now there are i in the streets, which are on fire and filled with panic It’s startling to watch but Dyvinius seems unaffected by it

When we reach the throne on the sapphire podium, he takes a seat and I stand in front of it "Gemma, I’m not sure if you fully understand our laws," he says, overlapping his fingers and placing his hands onto his lap "But we have certain rules to which Foreseers are supposed to abide to The first andnever tamper with a vision I’m not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but your father broke this law a long tio"

"If you kneho my father was," I say "Then why didn’t you say you did the first time you met me?"

"Because, back then you weren’t who you are now," Dyvinius explains, resting back in his throne "I see you heading down the same road as your father and I feel like it’s important for you to understand"

"What road exactly?"

He conte about your father?"

I shake my head "Not really"

"Well he was a lot like you in the sense of having extraordinary power," Dyvinius says "He could use the power of the Divination Crystal beyond the boundaries of an average Foreseer, beyond what even I can do, but he let it go to his head and did sos And because of that, he has to pay--he’ll be a prisoner forever in the Room of Forbidden, alone in his owntrapped in that place by himself for all eternity "That seems a little harsh"

"Changing visions is a dangerous thing" Dyvinius says, his eyesthe coldness in his tone "And there has to be severe punishment for it there has to be punishment whenever the rules are broken," he presses and I can see where this is going

I skio doithout a fight, even if itup an old man

"I hope you will take in what I said and obey the laws," he tells me "I wouldn’t want you to end up like you father"

"I won’t end up like him," I assure him, but deep down I’m not sure what I’ll end up like Perhapsas es people

"Good" Dyvinius is pleased "You o" He motions toward the doors at the back of the room

I don’t question him I hurry down the porcelain path for the silver doors, but stop when I see the i besideat each other, rin on his face And we’re doing nothing as the streets burn around us

"And Ge my attention away from the screen

I look back at him "Yes"

"I look forward to the day when you co," he says in a way thatback

I nod and glance back at the screen The i, I hurry out of the chaladly leave the City of Crystal behind

When I land back in house, Iroo his mother’s journal My sudden appearance scares him so badly he jumps up and starts to reach for his knife But once his brain processes that it’s me he relaxes and lowers his hand

"Fuck You scared the hell out of ether "What…Where have you… When did you leave the house?"

Not sure what to say, I give him an innocent look, raise ht and fierce, channeling power through er shifts into amazement as he sets the journal down "Where how did you…"

I close my hand and the flame si that happened, minus a few details

"So this is it then?" Alex sinks down on the sofa besideball and if it all works out, the vision will be changed and the world’s future will go back to nor "Although, I’about hihtens and I’ry "Just how er undermy head toward him "Just because Dyvinius doesn’t like your dad, doesn’t mean he’s bad We need to find stuff out for ourselves before we decide that"

"I know" I release a shaky breath "It’s just hard to hear how people talk about hi that I’d turn out like hi "Just because your father’s evil, doesn’t ht," I say "I mean, look at you You have the worst father in the world but you turned out alright"

He looks uncertain of how to respond, his eyes greener than they’ve ever been, his breathing quickening "You don’t know half the things I’ve done," he whispers "I ht just be as bad as him"

I shaketome to my decision "How about we make a promise to move past this?" I stick out o of the past and focus on the future, which is what life’s about anyway, right?"

He stares down at ht, I promise" But he doesn’t take my hand Instead he leans forward and presses his lips to mine, so delicately, so tenderly that it war," he whispers, his o save the world I pro"

I nod without a second thought, realizing I’d go anywhere with him Deep down I can feel that erous territory And I should walk away, but whatever I’et up and take his hand

"Okay, lead the way"