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"Dorian!" I screaht behind h the tree? Had he pushed me out of harm’s way and placed himself in its path? Or did the de in the abyss with thoughts of Dorian being killed by a deasped to catch any a ainst ers inof abandonrip I dropped toen into htened body I didn’t kno long I stay crouched before I saw a shadow h I knew that wasn’t possible--you need light for a shadow to manifest But my eyes played tricks on my brain and teased my already shaken nerves

After the shadow ca of hard soled shoes so back on my behind, I scooted further and further away fro my lips to keep my sobs muffled, I strained ure broke against the darkness and stood not four feet froI would slip its notice

"Gwen?" Dorian spoke with concern

Relief washed awayhard against his chest and throwing my arms around the thickness of his body I’d never been more relieved to see another person in my entire life Dorian encased my body with his ar his t-shirt I felt se body, but safe His hand caressedstrokes andfront and center in my mind Attraction stirred deep within ainst his I withdrew froainst him

With shaky hands, I wiped my tear soaked cheeks and cleared my throat "Where were you?" My voice sounded like a small child who needed reassurance

"I was here, Gwen, the entire tiht after you, but in here it’s a disorienting and easy to get lost"

He’d been withthe place disorienting was a major understatement I was sure if humans could explore a black hole, this is what they’d find, a big glob of nothingness

"What is this place?" Wrapping ht the shakiness in s in my life and felt real fear, but none of those past experiences ht The de time I had come so close to true evil and escaped Future obstacles couldn’t be as scary as that

"The in-between," Dorian answered

"That doesn’t really answer rabbedonto you, Gwen, We need to find a way out and unless you want to get separated again…" He let his unspoken words speak for themselves

I already felt closer to hie hand would confuse those feelingslost in the "in-between" was scarier than the attraction I wanted to file in the denial part ofhis leg in the process A deep ah the darkness, and if Dorian could seeshade of red

"If you wanted to feel my body, all you had to do was ask," he teased and clutchedin here," I ree just how nice his body felt beneath my palm

As alked, hat seemed like aimless steps, Dorian explained the in-between "The in-between is what lies beyond the safe zones," he began "Neither Ghosts or demons can enter, unless called to our reality The spirits you suh the in-between to manifest in our reality"

"So," I interrupted "It’s the space between the two realms?

"Exactly We are allowed to enter because we are connected to both worlds But it acts as a path for summoned spirits and demons as well"