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Blackw
ace hidden behind the crinkling pages, my eyes sca
nses. Here, the air was thick, a chaotic soup of w
ke from the flow of the crowd, h
cardboard package next
ell," he murmured, his
ck into the river of people
to my lap, beneath the table. I carefully tore open o
leather backpack, stood up, and t
entum carry me toward the edge of the ci
of tires sliced
the curb. It was hurtling down the sidewalk, directly toward a
no time
know I possessed. I shoved through the scattering peo
nd shoving his small back hard. He tumbl
my balance gone. I stumbled, cras
l of
me, and where his skin touched mine, a jolt
to clear my visi
golden-brown, were narrowed, fixed on me with an intensity that made my heart hammer against my ribs. But as
ightened, his finger
was a shaky whisper, but
e demanded, his
een. I followed his gaze. The boy was gone. But just for a seco
knowing, adult smile. Then
ed to ice. He thou
ted me off my feet as if I weighed no
shrieked, hammering my fists agai
d hit the pavement with a heavy thud. M
even gla
disappeared. People gasped and scrambled out of
n years in the making, was ruined before it had even t
e collar of my shirt. The locket my adoptive parents ha
e catching the flash of silver. But his
e bait he'd
ds instantly muffled. He spun around and slammed me against the c
nst my collarbones, his face just inches from mine. His golden eyes bore into mine, c
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