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It was like hearing the night horrors co in his dreams The inevitability of it

Gansey, very softly, said, "Please"

Maura sighed

"Brothers," said the Gray Man He did not mean Declan or Matthew At once the poent out of him "I don’t care for birds"

Then, after a ful look at Calla, who pretended not to see it

"Are you sure your brother will be able to find you?" Gansey asked

"I’ain," the Gray Man said "I don’t have s there, but my booksI would have to stay on the move for quite a while It took me years to lose him before And even if I leave, it won’t stop the others They’re tracking the energy abnorh Henrietta, and right now, they point right at hihast at the idea of the Gray Man having to abandon his books, frowned even deeper

"Could you drea this to anyone else," Ronan growled He knew he should be kinder; they were trying to help hi the ley line as it is You want to see Noah again? I’ next to a giant bull’s-eye

"You could lie," Calla suggested "Give the and tell them it’s the Greywaren and let theure out hoork it"

"My e man If he ever discovered or suspected a ruse, it would be very ugly for all of us"

"What would they do to me?" Ronan asked To Kavinsky? "If you turnedto an entirely different question

"No," the Gray Man agreed

"Don’t say no," Ronan insisted "Fucking tell me I didn’t say I’d do it I just want to know"

The Gray Man took his suitcase to the table, opened it, and laid the gun inside on top of the neatly folded slacks He closed it "He is not interested in people He is interested in things He will find the thing that lass box with a label and when his guests have had enough wine, he will take the that was inside you to thes in the other cases beside you"

When Ronan didn’t flinch -- the Gray Man couldn’t know that Ronan would rather dothan flinch -- he continued, "It’s possible he would make an exception for you But it would only be that he’d put all of you in the glass box He is a curator He will do what he needs to do for his collection"

Ronan still didn’t flinch

The Gray Man said, "He told me to kill your father as messily as I could and leave the body where your older brother would find it So that he would confess to where the Greywaren was"

For oneto realize that the Gray Man was saying he had killed Niall Lynch Ronan’s mind went perfectly blank Then he did what had to be done: He hurled himself at the Gray Man Chainsaw blasted into the air

"Ronan!" howled approximately three voices at once

The Gray Man let out a small oof with the ferocity of the hit Three or four punches landed on his person It was difficult to tell if it was through skill on Ronan’s part or perently threw Ronan across the breakfast table Teen boys and suitcases sprayed across the linoleuetting his fake name in the heat of the moment

Chainsaw cannonballed toward the Gray Man’s face As he ducked his eyes against her, Ronan slaed to include several sords in the blow The Gray Man, searching for footing, sainst the doorja!" This was Calla "You! Pretty one!" She forgot Gansey’s real name in the heat of the moment "Stop him!"

"I think this is justified," Gansey replied

The Gray Man had Ronan in an indifferent headlock "I understand," he told Ronan "But it wasn’t personal"

"It Was To Me"

Ronan slammed one fist into one of the Gray Man’s kneecaps and the other tidily into his crotch The Gray Man dropped him The floor rose up to tap Ronan’s temple quite abruptly

There was a pause, filled only with the sound of two people gasping for air

Voice ainst his cheek, Ronan said, "No ive you"