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“But maybe I am” I lifted my chin to look him square in the eyes It hurt, but I didn’t look away “There’s a part of me, a part that doesn’t want to follow the rules It hates order and good Every ti to be set loose What if it gets free one of these days? What if it takes over? I can’t pros I can’t promise it won’t make me hurt you”

With a gasp, I dropped Gabe’s hands Until I said it aloud, I’d never consideredto hurt hiing for a bit of violence Until we knew more about this demon nature and if it could be controlled, everyone aroundtime bomb The further Gabe stayed away, the better He’d thankrun Even if he’d hate me now

“You won’t hurt ed closer I couldn’t help but notice theIt drove me crazy when he did that “I know you, Lizzy”

“But, you don’t” I stepped away, putting a cream plush chair between us The more distance the better This was already painful “Not really I don’t even know myself You can’t be with me Not anymore”

Confusion and then panic ran across his face “You don’t mean that We’re partners”

“But can’t one of us choose to end the partnership?”

I looked at Manuel foraway one day about a partnership between two Nephilim that had been dissolved Apparently, it was really rare, but it occasionally happened

He shrugged and nodded at the sa my suspicious

“There, you see? Even Manuel knows I have the right to disavow my partnership”

Gabe dropped his hands and sped toward the door, pain thick in his voice “You knohat? I’ht h this de to let you end us just because you’re scared”

He gave h one Already, Ipresence I wanted to hurl ry cry If Manuel hadn’t still been in the room, I would’ve, but he stood there silently so I had to s my sobs for later

“You’re doing the right thing,” he offered after a minute of aard silence

I resisted the flash of anger that caed

“You need some distance fro you, maybe we can tame this beast”

The beast that lived insidethis de, inht onnew, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d suddenly becoured The beast was responsible for that My soul had becoly