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"I can help," Malcolain they h time, but o, Lawson figured The passages finally landed them where he wanted to be

"Where are we?" Bliss asked "Is this where we’re supposed to go?"

"That’s the house," he said, pointing to an ordinary-looking brown house at the end of a fan on the front lawn "Look, we’d just arrived, the curtains aren’t up yet Remember those, Mac?"

"I reme," Bliss said "Marrok ht need our help"

"Hold on just a e what happened I can leave a e - tell them to run Tell myself to run So they won’t stay here Then the hounds won’t come and Tala will be alive She’ll be alive" Lawson turned to the

But his brothers just shook their heads Ahramin was mute, hesitant

"Blissyou understand, help me Help me do this"

"No, Lawson" Her tone was kind, but firm "You know the rules You’re a Praetorian You can’t change the past You can’t change what’s happened Time must be allowed to flow, and the course of history ed You told ot to let her go, Lawson It’s the only way you’re going to be able to move forward," Bliss said She put a hand on his aroodbye"

Lawson closed his eyes Bliss was right Of course she was right He couldn’t change what had happened, not if he wanted to remain true to what he was, to what Tala had loved about him from the start

With tears in his eyes, he watched as the door opened and Tala appeared in the doorway He felt his heart sith love and sadness

Tala looked across the way, alht at him, but he knew she couldn’t see him

She had a smile on her face She was happy They’d been happy for a while in that little brown house A bright and peaceful happiness after the darkness of their life in the underworld It hadn’t lasted very long, but Laould treasure that love; he wouldn’t let his love destroy hier

Tala

She was so beautiful and kind She loved him so much

Every moment in time happened all at the saes of Time There was no past and no future, only an endless present And in this moment, Tala was alive, and Tala was happy He would have this moment forever, he realized It was not lost; he could return to it, again and again, in his ht of Bliss, who had suffered a loss as well I lost soo He would be strong for her, he thought He would move on, like she had

Tala, I love you Goodbye

Why, Lawson, where are you going?

He recoiled She had heard him She looked out into the darkness with a frown on her face Then she turned around and there he was The Lawson fro behind her He put his arms around her and they kissed

Lawson reood one

"Lawson, we’ve set the coordinates," Bliss said "We’re ready to go"

He turned away froe

Chapter Thirty-Eight

This tiround, deep within the earth "We must be under the serpent ," Rafe said

Lawson led the group through the narrow tunnels, li a little Finally they reached the end of the tunnel; the sun lit the exit, and they rose out of the ground, one by one, until they were all standing next to the serpent naled the tearound It was covered in blood, a dark red stain on the dirt and grass

"Marrok?" he whispered

What had happened here? He felt a sickening lurch in his stoht of what he’d left the wolves behind to do

"Hounds?" Bliss asked