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"I have video proof of the de," Thomas said "The entire area was observed by ASEs" He flicked a silvery sphere to Arteht it "I’m sure this is fabricated"

"You can’t fake Tee, Coronus, and you know it"

The Teutter along the road "I won’t believe your lies, spawn lover"

Thohed "I had to be sure we couldn’t reason with you before I slaughtered you and your men," he said

"In case you hadn’t noticed, we have you outnuhter today will be yours"

Thomas turned his head, and nodded to his people

The Templars under his command slid red bands on their biceps Since both sides wore identical nightingale armor, it made sense to differentiate themselves As one, they slid swords fro stance, perfect in order and alignment

Tho without discipline," he said in a calo when I first joined the Templars I looked up to you then as a friend and afor an instant "I regret what centuries of power have turned you into, Arteret what you are about to , Borathen," Coronus said "And it is you who have lost your way"

Tho loyalty I can tell fro for the rule of law Let us see if they at least care for their own lives"

Some of the as-yet unmasked people in the Synod squad looked uneasily at each other I wondered if they’d thought Tho the odds Now that he seemed determined, I could tell they didn’t relish the idea of battle

Artemis Coronus’s face turned scarlet, his lips peeled back with rage "To arms, men! Kill anyone who does not surrender" He looked at the hesitant line of his soldiers Jabbed a finger toward us "Attack!"

The eneed across the road

The Teh I’d had foresight enough to put on nightingale ar as necessary as underwear I felt useless How many of Thomas’s people would die? How could I have prevented this?"

Thomas roared a coed Tho off onefroh the ale arainst Te his sword free, and met another attacker’s down-stroke Elyssa’s sai swords caught an inco her face

In a blur, she swung the eneed into thescreairlfriend’s face, quickly replaced by resolve as another eneht no weapons with me I found a sword in a puddle of blood, a dis to it With a shudder, I pried the lukewarripped the blood-slicked handle I looked over the scene Pure chaos reigned from the Synod men while Thomas’s men maintained a neat line andcorpses and body parts littered the street Elyssa ducked beneath a stroke ai off her head She sliced the ene Another ht the killing blow on his sword, gripped the attacker’s wrist, and broke his ar him, he slammed the butt of his sword on the crown of the man’s head Elyssa dispatched her assailant and met her father’s eyes He nodded

I saw Artemis’s apoplectic face as he roared commands, all but impossible to hear over the fray Thoht Elyssa intercepted a Synod Teht his sword on the prong of her sai, twisted hard, and flung the sword froh the back of his coainst the man’s chin I heard the crack and saw teeth jettison frohtly on her feet, swords at the ready Her opponent hit the ground and didn’t move

The sounds of battle dwindled I looked around and sahy Scores of dead and wounded Synod Templars littered the street Only a couple of Thomas’s men even seemed wounded

Purple infused Artehter you in your homes, Borathen! We will hunt you to the ends of the earth!" He flung back his cape and rushed Thomas

Commander Borathen’s sword flicked aside the first thrust Arteht sword blurred Thoht spun away froht Thomas’s true attack just before it removed his head Their attacks became so quick they were blurs to my supernatural vision

Arteainst Thoer toward his heart Tho a deep cut on his sword arasped and moved to help

Elyssa’s arm barred the way "This is his battle to win or lose"

"He’s your father," I said

Her jaw tightened "I know"