i stopped fighting him and relaxed my arm before he pulled it out of its socket . dak suddenly remembered one of the last things his dad had said to him : this was n't a game . does n't just fade away like cheap perfume . '' he paused to catch his breath , or is this a new thing ? '' there was another crash behind them , a great slab of stone smashing through a wall to roll in front of the door to the street . she brushed his hair again with her fingers . 