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"Yes Which is why you’re staying here"

I started to say so and then bit ue-with-ot trotted out when the shit was already on its way to the fan "You may need to leave fast," I pointed out, after a second "I can get you out of there quicker than any weapon"

He clicked the gun shut "Not if you’re dead"

"If we stick together, I won’t be I’ you--"

I suddenly found ht jaw and hot green eyes "No You tell , not about this You do what I say"

"Daht had washed all the color fro, like the hand on my arm, or the low timbre of his voice "There are only two choices You listen to o back You asked for my help; you do thisthese creatures not to know exactly how dangerous they can be Do you understand?"

Yeah, I understood fine The proble me, but if he ended up dead because I wasn’t there to shift him ae’d both be screwed But I couldn’t explain that, without explaining ht now

"Howto take?" I whispered

"No more than need be I will find and draw off whatever is in there When you see nal, run for the house Shift back here when you’re done and I’ll be waiting But only nal you If I do not, you stay put"

"And if you don’t coet out of here Go back to your time--"

"The hell I will! I won’t just leave--"

"Then I won’t go"

And the infuriating ainst the tree, and looked at lared back "And here I thought you’d been getting better lately!"

"I’ve been indulging you"

"Indulg--" I tightened my lips on a torrent of words, none of which I could say And not just because we needed to be quiet Because for a second there I was actually rendered speechless

Indulgingevery order I ever gave And it da his life for ht of the idea

Or how I’d feel afterward

So I’d done over the otten what an absolute bastard he could be

Like when he calernail

"Stop that!" I knocked his hand away

He looked up, benail," I snapped, because I couldn’t say anything else

"And that would ruin "

I stood there for afor the trees He’d have to coet eaten by whatever was in there Only, no Any otherin his arsenal, throw me over his shoulder, and cart me off God knehere And that would be that Except that I’d wake up toht now

And I was getting damned tired of dead ends

I crossed my own arms "Fine"

"Fine what?"

"Fine, we’ll do it your way" Like I had a choice

Whatever his faults, Pritkin didn’t gloat "Wait forhard for the tree line Where, a second later, he disappeared