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“What?”

She backs away. “No no no.”

“Mercy!”

“We got it wrong.”

The ground pulses.

THUMP.

My body answers. Pain tears through me and I collapse.

“SAGE!”

My stomach moves. Not a kick. Not swelling. Something travels upward through my abdomen, my ribs, my chest. I claw at my throat. “I can't breathe.”

Ezra grabs me. “Sage.”

Something crawls higher and my throat bulges.

Rhett's face turns white. “Fuck.”

I gag.

Malakai grabs my jaw. “Open.”

I can't. I choke as something hard presses behind my tongue.

Ezra turns me onto my side. “Get it out.”

I cough.

Nothing.

Again.

Pain rips through my throat then something shoots from my mouth—a red kernel lands in Ezra's palm.

Silence.

I gasp for air. “Oh my God.” Another rises and I cough.

Rhett catches it.

Another towards Malakai.

Three kernels. One for each.

They stare.

The kernels split and tiny roots wrap around their fingers.

Ezra tries to drop his but it won't let go. “What the fuck?”

Malakai stares at mine.

No. His.