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.As I hurried through the vestibule, I dropped theburning phone book on the gas trail.For a moment I worried that it wouldn t catch, and Istood, frozen in horror, as it appeared the flame would go out.Then, with a whoosh ofoxygen being sucked away, flames blossomed to consume what was left of the whitepages, traveling slowly down the path of saturated carpet.I turned and ran out the doors,across the cracked lot to where Cyrus waited beside the van on the other side of the road. Get behind the van! I shouted, remembering too late the kind of wounds flying debriscould cause.The gas in the kitchen ignited before he could move, and I dived for him,shielding him with my body until the noise of falling rubble hitting the pavement finished.Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) My God, Cyrus whispered, climbing to his feet when I finally let him up.My gaze fixed on the burning building, I nodded. I didn t expect it to go up so fast.We stood side by side, watching the fire.I tried not to think about the girl we d left in thebasement.When I looked at Cyrus, I knew that was all he thought of, and my chest achedwith my guilt. Do you know where my father is? Cyrus asked quietly, tears filling his eyes.I didn t know if lying or telling the truth would be the best way to persuade him to leavewith me, but dishonesty felt cheap after the postmortem ritual we d just shared. No.Iknow he s planning something, and I know I needed to find you.He cocked his head, a bit of familiar Cyrus mannerism peeking through. Really? How didyou know? The Oracle. I didn t bother to explain.In his vampire life, Cyrus had known the goings-on of nearly every vampire faction.I had no doubt he d know who the Oracle was. Shetold me your father is trying to become a god.But she didn t tell me what all that entails.She did say I needed to seek you out.That you would be in the land of the dead, with thetoothsome ones.Despite our grim circumstances, he chuckled. Still speaks like Nostradamus.I neverreally cared for her, but she was on the mark with that prophecy. Cyrus, what is your father doing? He had to know.The Oracle wouldn t have sent meall this way for nothing. I don t know. He looked back to the church. But I ll do what I can to help you findout.I blinked and turned to him. You will?It seemed as if he d never blink as he watched the flames leaping into the night sky. If myfather hadn t decided to raise me from the dead& I blame him for her death, he stated.But I blamed myself.Because it was my fault.I could barely breathe with the knowledgeof it.The feeling of a piece falling into place nagged at me again, and I remembered my earlierobservation, that the pain I felt from Nathan through the blood tie was the same as I feltover the girl s death.And that s when I knew.Standing in the desert, watching the flames from the burningchurch blending in with the new day lightening the horizon, I realized the only demonpossessing Nathan was his own.I just didn t know how to save him from it.I can t imagine my life without her, but every day it seems more likely that she ll be takenfrom me.Max rubbed his eyes and reread the sentence.So far, Nathan s journal had providedinsight into only one area of his life.The mopey, insecure part.Looking up from the book, Max studied Bella.She lay on a nest of blankets and pillowsshe d fashioned into a dog bed her words, not his, tossed playfully at him when he dasked what on earth she was doing intently reading a tattered copy of The Sanguinarius.Max didn t put much stock in the book himself, but it seemed easier to let her read it thantry to give her his own crash course in vampire lore.It had surprised him when she d said she d never read it.Though it was at the top of theCreate PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)required reading list for vampire assassins, she d told him the book had never been madeavailable to werewolves during their Movement training.Max hoped he wasn t breakingany rules by sharing the book with her, but then remembered just how many rules they dboth broken already. Are you going to continue staring at me or are you going to finish invading yourpossessed friend s privacy? She didn t look up as she spoke.Max sighed. I m not getting anything here.Just pages and pages of how much he lovesCarrie and how much pain it causes him. That is something. Bella sat up, the movement graceful and catlike, despite her canineheritage. Sometimes all you need to reach the trapped soul is a piece of personalinformation.Perhaps if Carrie spoke to him  There s other stuff, too. Max wanted to get Bella off that dangerous line of thinking.Hewasn t going to be the one who fessed up to Nathan that he let Carrie read his diary. Likehis ex-wife. He is divorced? She made a face. I will never understand that human custom. It s not a custom, it s an exception, Max corrected. I don t understand it, either.If youjust don t get married at all, it makes things a lot simpler. What I meant was, it is unnatural to be separated from your mate. She tossed a pillow athim.He caught it and threw it back. Nathan s not divorced.His wife died.He killed her. Why would he do such a thing? The knowledge seemed to wound Bella.Max flipped back a few pages and read,   Every night I wish I d done it differently.I wishI had let them starve me.If I had been strong then, I would be dead now, instead of livingwith this guilt.  He snapped the book shut with one hand. I m guessing he ate her.Wasn t that in his file? Perhaps in his sealed probation file, she snapped [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]