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“Stop hier’s voice shouted “Ae, soft caress “It’s going to be okay I won’t let hiain”

“He’s the devil,” his grandfather screamed “A monster”

“Monster,” Mace whispered as his mind shut down “Can’t remember the number”

“Where’s that ambulance?” the woman shouted “We need it now”

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Mace blinked several times, and his reflection came back into focus He’d been unconscious when they took hiain, and he never found out who’d saved hi had been a blur of hospitals, courts, offices, and then finally foster care

At nine years old, he’d been placed in his first foster home, and he hadn’t been surprised when his new parents turned out to be monsters, too He’d known for years that the world was filled with them

He was living proof His father and grandfather’s genes lived on in him

“Hey” Keiko’s voice snapped hi your pretty face and co”

She was staring at hihed That boat had sailed a long tio

“Interesting new look,” he said as he pushed away from the washbasin

She’d found a pair of creas to make shorts They were fastened at the waist by a belt that almost wrapped around her twice Her dress hadn’t been spared her scissors, either She’d cut off the bottom section to turn it into a top

As though she’d already forgotten what she earing, she glanced down at her clothes “Can’t kick or run in that dress This will have to do until we get out of here I couldn’t find shoes that fit, though”

The look of disgust on her face h “That’s because you have tiny, baby-sized feet”

“My feet are perfectly in proportion to the rest of my body” She waved a hand at hie sized Your feet are huge”