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He brushed a lock of hair gently away fro his mouth, he kissed her bare skin there

“Exactly what I said,” he told her “When do you think you are…”

“In the present?” she laughed “Here With you”

Lucus shook his head The stubble of his chin brushed against her skin

“You’re back,” he told her “Lost With us With Evermoore”

“Lost?”

“For now,” he said “Not forever” His hands slipped around her, beneath her breasts “Because of this”

One palainst her chest The heart of Isololimmered as he manipulated it

“I— I don’t understand”

“Look at the ets? See how it creeps toward us, toward the manor?”

Melody nodded mechanically

“It comes,” he said “It always comes Every time It’s always the same”

“Why?”

“Because it has to,” Lucus said “Like everything else it has no choice It happened before like this Everything has to happen the way it always has”

Melody stared out into the mist She watched it churn, ripple, move