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"She told us what happened to you, Ben" River spoke up, her voice deep and low Apparently she’d cast aside her doubts as to whether I really was present She looked around the rooaze as she continued, "She told us that you sacrificed yourself to prevent the Elders’ uprising, and she told us… what you are now" Her voice went quieter still "She told us how you savedup
Her voice slashed my heart like a knife
By now Hortencia had resumed her seat on the stool, and I ht next to you, on your right side?" I said to the oracle
Hortencia jabbed a finger atnext to me"
My mother, sister and River’s eyes shot toward my direction and, if I’d possessed insides, they would’ve squirmed It was a bitter reminder of how lost I’d become, how out of touch This was the closest I’d come to real-life contact with them in what felt like forever Hoished that they could actually see me the way I saw them
I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to say to the revealed everything beforehand, savingto do it myself
It didn’t seem that there was much more to be said about what had happened to e to comfort them somehow
I left Hortencia’s side and approacheddown, I kissed her cheek I was about to request Hortencia to informh of impatience and revealed it herself
"Mother of the dead, he has just kissed your cheek," she said, her tone infused with boredoers at Hortencia It was ironic, for all her infinite sensitivity to the universe, how insensitive she could be to the feelings of those around her
My h my chest
"Ben," she whispered "I love you, Ben And--" She drew in a heavy breath as her voice cracked "I need you to kno proud I am of you"
I placed my translucent hands around her hand and planted a kiss over her knuckles "I love you too, Mom"
"He repeats that he loves you," Hortencia mur down, kissed her cheek too My twin I gazed down upon her pretty, innocent face--or should I have said deceptively innocent, after her recent rown so far apart from Rose We had been practically inseparable as children and recently--even when I was still alive--we’d been away fro that it al We didn’t share the same uncanny mental connection that my father and aunt had… at least, neither of us had experienced it yet
"Hortencia, please tell Rose that I’m next to her now"