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Before they began, Gemma used a paper towel to wipe the scroll co with residue froht screw it up

Geer, but she felt weird about hurting her Then Marcy tried to do it herself, also without success, so finally, Kirby had to step in and save the day With Marcy looking the other way, Kirby sliced the knife down her finger

Marcy held her hand over the scroll, squeezing droplets out Geain, so, hurriedly, she sliced open her own finger and mixed her blood with Marcy’s, then added the water last

It wasn’t as h that she could slow beneath, shining brightly through her blood in a vibrant crimson

At first, it seemed no different froy drink for herself But then they began to blaze even brighter, the dark ink shifting froe flame, like they were on fire

She held her breath, thinking that this ht finally be it … and then just as abruptly as it started, it stopped The ink faded to its usual russet color Nothing had changed

“Well that sucks,” said Marcy “I thought the scroll was going to burst into flaly before, right?”

Gehtfully at the scroll “That’s definitely never happened before, not like that I e had the translation because I don’t knohy it happened”

TWENTY-FIVE

Eternity

Daniel sat in the driver’s seat of the car he’d borrowed fro breath His phone was in his hand, still glowing fro to his with, “I love you, too”

He’d wanted to say soht be the last thing he ever said to Harper, and if it was, “I love you” was the only thing that really mattered in the end

Before he’d left the house, he’d gone over everything Hewith his mother’s phone number and insurance info He’d tried to write a letter as a last will and testas in his life that really mattered to him were his boat and Harper

Today was his twenty-first birthday, and he was going to have sex with a woh he hoped she would accept his offer to becoht kill him when she was done He would die on the day he was born At least that had some nice symmetry to it

He was focused on the phone, on Harper’s last text to hi on the car , s to force a smile back at her, he pushed the button to roll down the

“Are you ever planning on co inside, or did you wanna do it in the car?” Penn asked, leaning on the door so he could see down the front of her slinky black dress “Because I’ve done it in cars before, and it’s not as hot as it sounds”

“I’ll go in … unless you planned on changing your mind about today”

Penn threw back her head and laughed “No way Let’s go”

When he rolled up the , she stepped back He turned off the ignition and decided to leave the keys and his phone in the car It would be easier for people to find if Penn killed hiht

He followed her into the house, and he was surprised to see how everything had been decked out No lights were on, but there had to be a thousand candles casting a warhts played softly on a stereo, but otherwise, the house was silent