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He pulled on a pair of jeans and took the back stairs doard the kitchen The landing between floors was painted red, so the first flight of stairs was like a descent into hell He went past hell to the next flight of stairs, past one wall that was a tableau in black-and-white ht between Auriray hall There was a ainst one wall, a man’s white profile that reminded Jared of Aunt Lillian

Jared realized that a door was ajar and so the marble face He turned toward the lit room as he descended the stairs, and he heard theon in the library

"… it’s clear it will not stop We have to do so," said a woman’s voice It was Aunt Lillian, and not hisaction

His mother spoke next She said, "You can’t trust a half-breed"

Jared went still for a moment, and in that moment Ash opened the door all the way and slipped outside the room He looked up at Jared on the stairs, and his blue eyes ide

Jared lunged froainst the stone wall

"Half-breed?" Jared said in a furious whisper "Do they mean Kami?"

At the mention of Kami’s name, Ash’s eyes narrowed "No," he said, and his voice was suddenly like his mother’s, crisp and cold "They mean you" He shoved Jared away and disappeared back into the roo the family council

Jared didn’t wait to see what Ash told the hall and then the entrance hall and out the front door, sla it behind him He sat on the top step of the entrance of Aurimere House, Sorry-in-the-Vale stretched dark and quiet below hied anywhere This was the first tilad of it He wasn’t one of them He didn’t want to be He knehere, and to who

They could keep their secrets, as his ot to school the next day without any incidents like being kidnapped by pirates or having the earth open up and s her, which on the whole Kaht was a pity And on her way up to her headquarters for her first free period, she ran into the person she least wanted to see "Ash," she said, breathless with horror

"Hey," said Ash

Kami stared at him with blind panic and offered: "I’m so sorry"

"Yeah," Ash said "Youup the stairs "Look," he said "Don’t worry about it Really I feel like I should be the one to apologize"

"No," Kami told him "No, I’ain"

"I knew you were upset Taking you out wasall offended andyou feel worse"

"Well, you’re far too nice, and I’ the worst date you’ve ever had on you"

"Oh no," said Ash "It wasn’t the worst date I’ve ever had The worst date I’ve ever had ith a girl who had a pet fire extinguisher"

Ka myself," said Ash "So you see"

"I could take on the pet-fire-extinguisher girl," Kas"

Ash’s laugh floated down the corridor, light as Kaht, she thought "I’ve got faith in you," Ash said "So--how about it? Let’s give going out another try"

You’d better not come in, Jared said I’m in here He didn’t hurl the coned

Kah the square of wire-covered glass Jared was sitting at his desk, big shoulders hunched

"No," she told Ash, and saw him blink with surprise "I really like you," she continued, because Ash deserved to hear it "But I’ve got a lot of stuff going on right now, and I just don’t--I don’t kno I can"

She hardly heard Ash’s polite ht" and "of course" and "soet himself out of this situation She felt awash in horror

Kami opened the door and went into her headquarters The half-open blinds sliced the sky into bars of light and shadow over desks and floor, red lae She went over to stand at the , behind Jared’s chair Then she gave up and leaned against the back of Jared’s chair, allad you’re real," she said She was glad he was real She couldn’t wish him out of existence, or even wish he was somewhere away froht here

Yeah? Jared asked