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Her hands were shaking and she didn’t knohy Bethany stood and took the plates she was holding from her "No reason to break the china," she said cheerfully

"I won’t do this unless you’re entirely willing," Ada to do just about anything," she said She lifted her hands "What do I need to do?"

"Just relax, and trust uys say," Bethany teased

They all smiled Then Genevieve looked seriously at Adain"

Terrified he was going to kill hiht be on the road, Thor forced himself to stay calm and drove onto the shoulder They were al the car into Park, he looked in the back seat again

It was empty

He stared at Brent

"There was just soreed

"He’s gone now"

"He probably thought you were about to have a heart attack"

"I nearly drove off the damned road"

"Yes, I noticed that" Brent shosts! What the hell is this bull you all are pulling on everyone? S it?"

Brent didn’t flinch He just stared at hiical s in this world that you can’t explain Maybe there really was a ghost in your back seat"

"I don’t believe in ghosts," Thor repeated stonily

"Okay Don’t believe in them But shouldn’t I drive?" Brent asked

"We have about four blocks to go," Thor said "I can drive"

He pulled back out onto the road He didn’t want to look into the rearview mirror, but he couldn’t help hi at him

"You’re not there," he snapped

And then he drove on Cautiously

A strange as blowing She was accusto in the air was disturbing…frightening

Or was fear creating the disturbance within her own spirit?

No one believed her, not even her own father But then again, he was such a liar Yet, she dared not decry him too passionately, lest the truth be known And the truth was far worse…

She stared toward the horizon, certain help would couns There seemed to be so many She was a proud ship, but the ocean was vast, and any ship, no matter how proud, was but a speck on the sea

She turned around, aware of the wind, and also aware of soe and eerie silence The ship shouldn’t be quiet

A sensation of evil crept along her spine She looked slowly around her There should have beenand theto trile sailor was topside

But he was

Staring at her With that s on? Where is everyone?" she demanded

"Gone," he said si her spine becaone’?"

"They wanted to swi his distance He was enjoying himself

She watched hiain

Maybe she was hoping, ht she saw another ship on the horizon But the weather was changing so quickly Cal up over the water, a sure sign of changing te about a stor about a storm rather than face the truth

"You have…you have taken over the ship? But…the irl, are hest bidder," he coet the port from which we have just come And that new men had to be hired on to replace those who took ill so seriously--and so suddenly You forget so ! You, sir, lived in the recesses of your ined truth where there was none"

"You betrayed me"

"Never"

"You betrayed us"

"There was no ‘us’ for me to betray"

He shook his head "It doesn’t matter anymore History will tell the tale And it will be the truth The pirate destroyed all"