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"Or ET, as the idiots like to call it," Scout added with a grin, bobbing her head toward the boys

Jason lifted his gaze to mine, and there was concern there "Did you say you’ve been to the city rooaze was accusatory "You let her into the city room?"

"I didn’t let her in," Scout defended "I wasn’t even there The preps found the room and led her down there, locked her in"

Jason put his hands on his hips He was definitely not happy "Regulars know about the city rooh," Scout said "Not all the tunnels are blocked off I told you this was going to happen eventually"

"Not now," Michael interjected "We don’t need to talk about this right now"

A little tension there, I guessed "Why the tunnels in the first place?" I wondered "If Reapers are out to suck the souls fro in their hy don’t they just bust through the front door of St Sophia’s and take out the school?"

"Wein common with the Reapers--no one wants to be outed to the public We don’t want to deal with the chaos, and Reapers like being able to steal a soul here and there without a lot of public attention"

"People probably wouldn’t take that very well," I said

"Exactly," Scout agreed with a nod "Reapers don’t want to be locked up in the crazy house--or experihts out of the public eye We keep theround, or at least off the streets We usually ressive lately More aggressive than usual," she muttered

I re suers could do that to a girl

"They have given chase a lot lately," Jason said "We’re all thinking they ot quiet, the three of theht be up to Then they looked atfor a reaction--tears or disbelief or enthusiasm But I still had questions

"Do you look forward to it?" I asked

Scout tilted her head "To what?"

"To giving up your powers?" I uncrossed s and buried my toes in the blanket--this place was as frosty as St Sophia’s "I ht now, you all have so all ive it up Doesn’t that bother you?"

They exchanged glances "It’s the way it is," Scout quietly said "Magic is part of e are now, but it won’t be part of us forever"

"But neither will s and obnoxious Reapers and power-happy Varsity Adepts"

Scout lifted her eyebrows at Jason’s uessed things weren’t entirely hunky-dory in Enclave Three "So the guy that blasted me, or whatever You said his name was Sebastian And he’s a Reaper"

Scout nodded "That’s hi before he blasted me What was that?"

"Ad meloria," Michael said "It’s Latin Means ‘toward better things’ "

I raisedthat’s their ht," Scout said "They think the world would be a better place if they kept their ive the"

"Survival of the craziest, lanced down at his watch, then looked up at Michael "We probably need to head," he said, then glanced at ot some stuff at MA this afternoon"

"No proble by And thanks for the flower"

He stuck his hands into his pockets and grinned back at me "No problerinned back at hi pulled my attention away

"I should also head back," she said, pulling a massive, baffled down jacket off the back of her chair She squeezed into it, then fastened the clips that held it together The white jacket went past her knees, which hts and thick-soled Dr Martens Mary Janes beneath it

"You look like the Pillsbury Snow Boy"

She rolled her eyes "It’s breezy out there today Not all of us have these warled into the bed, thinking I’d better gather ar to my meat locker of a roo his knuckles on the tray at the end of the bed I assu Either way, I appreciated the gesture

I smiled back at him "I’m sure I’ll see you soon"

"And hopefully under better circulance "Green"

She rolled her eyes "Garcia" When she looked at ive you a call later"

I nodded

The trio gathered up their things, and I clenchedto ask one final question Well, scared to ask it, anyway My palet it out

"Jason"

They all turned back at the sound of his name

He arched his eyebrows "Yeah?"

"Could I talk to you for a sec?"

"Ulance with Scout and Michael She winged up her brows, but let Garcia push her toward and out the door

When the door shut behind the okay?"

"Oh, yeah" I frowned down at the blanket for a aze to his crystal blue eyes "Listen, I just wanted to say thanks For getting me out of the basement, I mean If it hadn’t been for you and Scout--"

"You wouldn’t have gotten hit in the first place," he finished