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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Booklist
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
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  78. 74
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  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“It’s the lunch hour. Someone’s in there. Someone who knows to get away from the windows and turn off the lights.” Adam led them out the door.

Elle followed close on his heels. “Is it safe to be on the street?”

“We’ll find out.”

33

“REASSURING,” RUNE MUTTERED.

The fear that had been waiting to ambush Elle spread like an instant release of poison. But this time, the fear was not for herself: she looked at the two people who had fought for her memory and her sanity, and she feared that dash across the sunlit street. The memories echoed in her mind...

Of Adam asking her, “What’s your name?” and her blank panic when she realized she didn’t know herself.

Of Rune sharing her own story to lead Elle to a memory of her grandmother and a sense of herself.

Of Adam sleeping with her to calm her nightmares.

Of Rune horrified by her screams, yet proceeding undaunted with the hypnosis which gave her the gift of knowing she had fought her attacker.

Out of the goodness of their hearts—and for the friends-and-family rate—these two had cared for her physically and mentally. She couldn’t bear to think of them dead on Gothic’s main street.

“Adam, maybe we should stay here rather than exposing ourselves to this...sniper.” Elle tried to sound sensible. She feared she sounded high and quavery.

Adam put his hand on her shoulder and led her farther into the shadows. “Once the shot is fired, a sniper doesn’t stay in place. They know law enforcement is on their way.”

“You think the sniper packed up and left.” Elle relaxed. Not completely, but enough to realize her breathing had been short and tight.

“I would bet my life on it.” Adam put all levels of meaning in his voice. “In addition, I don’t like this place. If there’s still an active shooter, he knows we’re in the building. If they are someone who is, shall we say, less than logical and on the way down here intending to finish the job, I don’t want to be trapped upstairs. The back is our logical exit, the door he would expect us to use, and it would be easy to pick us off. We can’t stay in the shop and wait. The windows are large, the sun is shining and there are no blinds to hide us.”

“Note to self,” Rune said. “Install blinds.”

“Our best bet is the front door. It’s not visible from the shooter’s original location, it’s our least likely exit, and we have shelter across the street.”

“He makes it all sound so rational.” Rune shook her hair. More shards fell.