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It doesn’t matter how often I repeat the words, my hope just won’t die, so the moment the ray of sunlight touches my pinky finger the disappointment still kicks me in the gut harder than any vampire ever could.

But there’s relief also. No matter how angry I am with Celeste, I didn’t want Dante to win. I can’t begint to imagine how much he hurt her. She deserves not to have to see his face again.

My thoughts don’t last very long. After a few minutes, there’s only the pain of fire licking my skin extinguishing every thought inside my brain. All my pride doesn’t stop me from crying. I’m so tired and this hurts so much.What a shit way to go.

Then, over the crackling sound of my cooking flesh, I hear the sound of screeching tires. I’m in too much pain to make sense of what’s happening. Is he back to hurt me more?

The hangar’s side door is thrown open and someone short marches in, her white hair in a messy ponytail. She starts running the moment she sees me, followed by another, much larger figure.

“Look at her!” she snaps. “We could have been too late!”

I blink at her deliriously as she grabs the chair and pulls me out of the sunlight.

The other person is now somewhere behind me. “Mel, if we’d driven any faster we’d now both be dead.” His deep voice is calm and soothing.Ibrahim?

Mel makes a face. “If we’d driven any faster we’d both be dead,”she imitates mockingly. “That’s because you don’t know how to drive!”

“Deni?” He comes around the chair, squatting before me to cup my unharmed cheek with his palm, lifting my head a little. “What happened?”

I groan. The corner of my mouth on the burned side of my face splits as I speak, my skin weeping wound fluid. “Dante happened.”

Ibrahim turns to look at Mel, his expression confused.

Mel’s face looks like she’s seen a ghost. “Like, vampire ex-boyfriend Dante?”

I nod as best as I can.

She lets her face sink into her hands. “Oh my god, I’ve been telling Celeste she was just being paranoid for months.”

Ibrahim clears his throat. “Would someone tell me what is going on?”

Mel waves her hand at him dismissively. “I’ll explain on our drive home.” She, too, squats down before me. “Where is she?”

My mind labours through the pain to understand and answer the question. Do I know where Celeste is? Should I know? I shake my head, as if I could swat the pain away. “She’s not with you?”

“She texted me where to find you a few hours ago,” Ibrahim says. “But she’s been AWOL since.”

So… she did what he asked her to do?I wade through my thoughts like through molasses. “He said he’d let me go if she came back to him.”

Mel looks like she wants to cry while Ibrahim has taken to undoing the knots keeping me in place. The polyester rope has melted and merged with my flesh in places. Parts of me come away in chunks as he unwinds the rope. My vision goes dark and I can’t stop myself from fighting, tears streaming from my one whole eye.

“Stop it,” I whimper, forgetting what is happening. “Please.”

Ibrahim brushes the hair from my face. “It’s alright, Deni. It’ll be over soon.”

When it’s done, he catches me, stopping my body from sliding to the floor. Somewhere in the distance, I can hear the dialling of a phone. It beeps once, twice, three times.

“Celeste?” Mel’s voice is agitated.

“Did you find Deni?” Celeste’s voice is muffled by the phone speaker.

“Yes. Where–”

“Good. Don’t call again.”Click.

“Ugh!” Mel kicks one of the toolcarts. “How is anyone supposed to help that woman?”

“He won’t let her talk on the phone,” I mumble.