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Adam was dead

Quiet sobs raked my throat until it was so hoarse and raw I could hardly breathe This was edrong because she knew ht into this He’d died trying to protecttoaway fro as I crawled to Dee’s side I wanted to help her, but I didn’t kno My gaze flickered over to Ada what else to do, I blocked Adam from her view It was all I could do

No more than five minutes later, a car door shut outside Blake stood fluidly, stalking toward me He placed his hand onaited beyond the door

But what I wasn’t expecting was the flare of heat that radiated offin "Just sit still"

Oh, God… I glanced down at Dee She was vulnerable, easy pickings My front door opened Heavy feet filled the hallway, and the obsidian scaldedthe rock out

Vaughn was the first to enter His eyebrows rose as his gaze landed beside me "Blake, what happened here?"

I felt Blake stiffen, but I kept my eyes on the two Arum behind Brian One was Residon and the other reedy eyes were bare and went straight to Dee I turned, feeling the hair on the back of ht back or they would’ve taken me out I didn’t have a choice" Blake cleared his throat, sounding confused when he spoke again "Where’s Nancy?"

"This has nothing to do with Nancy" Vaughn rubbed a long finger over his brow "And you say that a lot, Blake There are always choices However, you’re not really good atthem" He turned to the Aru off him"

"The dead one?" Residon scuffed "We want the one who is still alive"

"No" My voice caed "No! They can’t have either of thehn knelt down in front of me, and as close as ere, I could see the reseo one of tays You come with us of your own free will or I will hand over both of theuys Do you understand?"

My eyes darted to the Aruhn laughed as he glanced up at his nephew "See, that’s what you do when you’re presented with the unexpected"

Blake looked away, jaw clenching "What do you mean this isn’t about Nancy?"

"Just what it sounds like"

A shudder racked Blake’s taut body "If we don’t turn her over, they’ll kill--"

"Do I look like I care? Really?" Vaughn laughed, standing as he turned his attention to un "Residon, take the dead one Dispose of him"

Take his body, so Ash and Andreould face what Dee and Daemon had? No body No closure My brain clicked off What rose inthe sorrow and helplessness, was priin, but a coanic I sucked in air, but there was so…more Particles all around us--tiny atoms, but powerful, too small to see with the naked eye--lit up as they danced in the air and then froze Like a thousand twinkling stars, they glea white

I sucked in and they ca stars They built and swirled, surrounding ether, settling on h until they bonded withtide of eer just Katy So--someone else--moved inside o, on Halloween, had returned

The Arum sensed it first They shifted into their true forht oil They would die

"Don’t kill her," Vaughn yelled, pulling out his gun, leveling it atrash Think this through"

He would die, too

Backing up, Blake glanced between his uncle and me "Christ…"

In the back ofthis power--soht in the clearing What was inwiththehn er twitched "Don’t make me do this, Katy You’re worth a lot of money"