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"You knew I tried to protect them?" If so, that was a hell of a lot more than I knew Not that I was about to volunteer that piece of information "How?"

"Video," Daniel replied "Each team member had a camera in their helmet That’s standard procedure now It took a while, but we pieced together what happened froh the videos Of course, we need your version of events as well, given that you’re an eyewitness"

That ht was still a black hole in my memory I didn’t kno to tell hi the roorinned "Nice hit, by the way Sliced that ugly head right off You must have been as surprised as hen the Old One picked up his head and reattached it"

Surprised wasn’t the word for it But I didn’t like the ioal of true immortality--and therefore harder than ever to kill

"After that," Daniel continued, "you disappear froo for help? Why didn’t you call me?"

"I was" How do you explain Limbo to a couple of norms?

"We can take your state is that we have irrefutable evidence of what happened to each and every team member You’re in the clear"

In the clear What beautiful words Kaysi would feel vindicated

AFTER PROMISING TO MEET WITH DANIEL AND RAMÓN THE next day, I was free to go to Mab She lay on a stretcher, her face pale When she saw me, her lips stretched in a thin smile

"I don’t kno to address you," she said "Lady or child?"

I took her hand in ers felt thin and cold "My name’s still Vicky"

She lifted litter that coated it sparkled in the light, and her smile broadened "So it is"

"Mab," I said "Your bloodstone It’s" I didn’t kno to tell her "It’s gone"

"Of course, child How else could Ceridwen return?"

I stared

"For all these years," Mab said, "for more lifetimes than anyone should have to endure, I kept the bloodstone for her And now she hasto happen to you?" The bloodstone had always been the source of Mab’s vitality

"At long last, child, I’ll be able to rest" She must have seen the stricken look on my face because she added, "But not yet The battle isn’t over Much work re that they had to get Mab to the hospital She squeezed one

Before I went home, I walked past the corralled zo to load them into vans I scrutinized each face, but I didn’t see anyone I knew As far as I could tell, Tina was still

I MADE IT HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT WHEN I CALLED MASS General, the nurse told me that Mab was in "fair" condition and adh toto visit "I’ll be out tomorrow," she insisted "Stay home and sleep, child You need it"

So I did Maybe a better niece would have needed et so that had happened would h to face the next battle, whatever it ht be

Yet as soon as my body relaxed into sleep, Ceridoke up Her presence fla up the usual darkness with sparkles of silver and gold The light swirled It solidified into a feolden hair, rosy skin, and dark eyes She wore a siround

My greeting to her: "Go away"

I expected, oddess , iridescent butterflies forhting like ornaolden hair They reminded me of Butterfly, the only Eidolon in history to sacrifice itself for its host, and for a moment I felt an inexplicable sadness

Get over it, Vicky, I told myself You’re better off without that demon It was a pain in the ass