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"I think we ured out how to connect et Ryder back here"

He tucks his hands behind him "She doesn’t want to be a part of it And you knohat, neither do I Not under these circumstances I don’t want help from a Day Taker"

"He’s your brother," I say "How can you hate hihs and takes my face in his hands "You don’t know his he’s done--the things I know he can do He’s not good, Kayla Not at all"

"He’s not entirely bad" My heart beats a lulling lances at ets inside your head and et that It’s not real But what I feel, it’s very real"

He crashes me into his chest and enfolds his ar to ive up and rest my head on his shoulder Safe That’s how he makes me feel I make him feel helpless, like he can’t live without me

And that, I realize, is why Monarch thinks I can convince hie into a Day Taker

I relax forUntil the first vaht I knoe’re in trouble because there’s no place to hide

Chapter 10

"Run," Aiden coet to the rocks"

I plantback "I’m fine You run I need to find Ryder"

"She’ll be fine" He reaches for my hand, desperate and anxious

"She’s not immune to their bite" I put one"

"I kno the virus works, Kayla And we all risk getting infected" Another vaaze skims the shadowed land "Even you"

"No, I don’t," I say and he shoots me a puzzled look "It turns out Monarch put iapes at me "You were bit and you survived?"

"That’s why I can’t let them fend for the "I think I’ht have made me this way To protect and save the innocent"

Aiden laughs sharply and it echoes the air "Sylas is far froo to those rocks over there and get on top of the the horizon "I’ll find Ryder and we’ll meet you up there"

He shakes his head stubbornly "I’ with you"

I know I should tell him to stay, but I don’t have time to crack him I have to make a choice

We sprint into the darkness as the vas and our skin I can’t shake the feeling that he’s running straight into his death

"Because I messed up when I created hies his mind about his existence, he won’t survive"

Aiden pants heavily and his pace lags "Where’d they go exactly?"

Glancing around, all I see is i darkness "They ran this way, but I don’t knohere would they go? Or where would Ryder go, since she was the one running"

"They’re probably hiding" Aiden’s at a jog and he trips over a sage bush "Which is e should be doing, Kayla We really should"

My lips start to part, but fasten shut as a cluster of vampires scurry toward us The sky is virtually black and the va lips, rotting flesh, and bleeding eyes give ahat they really are

"Back up" I place uide him back "You don’t have any cuts on you, do you?"

"What?" He flinches at the va towards us "Yeah… why?"

"Shit" I stagger backward as the vampires howl at the sky "Run"

We spin and bolt, flying through the night at a pace only fear can instill Aiden’s quickly running out of breath and so a for the rocks When I peek overus They are not as quick, unable to decide if they want to run from my scent or chase the s after us!" He shouts, stuht they hated you?"

"They smell your blood" I slope around the back of a hill, power s up, and hurl ainst the rough edge, and my skin splits Blood leaks downes Aiden’s just belowrocks to roll to the ground where the vaether