Read Page 43

Lawrence was dead. Schuyler felt as if her heart would shatter from the loss of her beloved grandfather. How was this allowed to happen? What had he been talking about? Her sister? Who? What?

The first rays of dawn lit the mountaintop. A figure walked up the steps.Advertisement

"Someone's coming," Oliver warned.

"It's just Bliss," Schuyler said as their friend reached them. "Thank God you're okay."

"My sister is dead. My stepmother too. I don't know where my father is," Bliss said in a flat, strangled voice. "There was black smoke. The Conclave...they've been...What's happened here?" she asked, seeing the prone bodies of Lawrence and Dylan on the ground.

"Is that? Oh my God!"

Schuyler grabbed Bliss by the waist and let her sob on her shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry."

Bliss removed herself from Schuyler's embrace and knelt by the body of the boy she loved. She cradled him in her arms, and her tears fell on his cheeks. "Dylan...no," she whispered. "No."

"There was nothing we could do ... it was a mistake," Schuyler said, trying to explain. "Lawrence..."

But Bliss wasn't listening. She wiped away her tears on her sleeve. "I'll take him down," she said, putting her arms around him, lifting him up. He was so light, he was almost insubstantial. It was like holding air. There was nothing left of him. She made her way down the mountain alone, hiccupping sobs.

Schuyler watched them with tears falling from her own eyes. She had not been able to save Dylan. She had lost two friends today.

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"It will be all right, you'll see," Oliver said, kneeling to cover the wound on her arm with a torn strip from his shirt.

Schuyler looked at him. Saw the sad, drawn expression on his handsome face, his dark caramel hair falling over his wounded forehead. Kind, gentle, wonderful Oliver. The enormity of her deception struck her. She had deceived them both in her words and actions. Because she did love him. Had always loved him. Loved Oliver and Jack both. They were both part of her. She had denied her love for Oliver in order to allow herself to love Jack. But now so much was clear.

"I love you," she said.

"I know." Oliver smiled and continued to bandage her arm. pqdm.com