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Beep. . . Beep . . .Beep.
The warm scent ofskin.
Spice andsawdust.
The steady beat of a heart against myspine.
Ba-bump . . . Ba-bump . . . Ba-bump. . .
Rhythmic andsolid.
The sharp spike of beeps echoing around me jolted the body cocooningmine.
“Dimples?”
Beep. Beep.Beep.
I blinked, but everything was dark. Sodark.
“Iwant. . .”
“What do you want,sweetheart?”
“Colors.”
Something clicked, and then hands gently eased me onto myback.
Against the cream ceiling, green, sable, and gold churned. Heat stung my eyes; then something wet rolled along my cheek: atear.
The beats of my heart lengthened. Slowed.Beep . . . Beep . . .Beep. . .
“What is it?” the deep voice trembled in the air between ourfaces.
I lifted my hand to touch August’s jaw. He turned his face until his lips connected with my palm. “It was so dark and then so white,” I murmured. “What happened tome?”
His breathsfaltered.
“What?” I asked as I lifted my other hand to push the hair obscuring my lefteye.
Found it wasn’t hair butgauze.
Thickgauze.
I prodded it until I found the edge and then started peeling it away when August caught my fingers. “Don’t take itoff.”
“Why not? Am Ibleeding?”
“No. Maybe. Just don’t take it off yet. Greg said he’d be here in the morning. He’ll doit.”
“O-okay.” Something about his expression had my heart thump a little quicker, which filled the hospital room with nippy, harshbeeps. “Is Cassandra . . . isshe. . .?”
“Dead? Yes. She’s dead. You killed her. Which killed you.” His voice broke. “It . . . killed . . .you.”
I ran my palm along his jaw, pressing a little harder to make sure he was real, and that I was too. “Idied?”
The quiet white void had beendeath.
