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Lucan stood triu his lips, his eyes wild and drunk with power He was draining Ainal life blood of this race and grafting it to his own corrupt and prejudice bloodline

"No!" I screaround and racing at Lucan, pushing hi

I looked down at the anguished, onyx eyes of randfather and lost ain, sendinghihed out loud; a dark, haunting laugh that would cloud htmares for the rest of h clenched teeth I knelt at his side, taking his hand inwhat else to do

Suddenly and quite surprisingly, a sharp strearasped palic A th back to the floor

I looked up at hiwhat he could, but Amory was still in control of his destiny

I pressed ainst the force of Aic was different than ic The ancientcataclysan to treic than anyone I had ever encountered or taken fro my blood for what seemed well beyond the capacity I would be able to hold

Lucan stood above us in arrogant triuic or not, I didn't know But either way the evil King was pleased to finally end the long life of the last Oracle

The flow of ainst the cold, hard floor with a peaceful sigh I held tightly to his hand, hoping to give hiain

Lucan stumbled backwards, drunk with power and unstable froic I, too, felt wobbly and dazed

"It is finished, Eden," A his eyes when I tried to return hishappened "It's tio home," he smiled peacefully, and his face relaxed into the ancient man that had lived the kind of life that was happy to end "Carry on, Eden Carry on and finish the task" And then he was gone

Chapter Forty-Four

"No!" I screaainst A to believe that he was dead

Tears strea waves of desperate e for the faint sound of a heart beating for survival but there was nothing, not even the echo of a life once lived I kepthio," Kiran called to me from above, in his soft, accented voice

I looked up at hiht ainst the cold concrete, afraid I would vo help

"No," I whispered hoarsely back

"Eden, they are waiting It's ti forfor me to let him take me away Talbott stood by his side protectively, but quietly He was bruised and unkeht

I stood up sloithout his help I took in s painfully The battle was over and from where I stood inside the barn it looked as if the snow had stopped blowing as well The Titans, hundreds of the them into araze fall on every single member of the Rebellion, on Lilly, on Jericho, on Roxie, proive theain And that I would save them

Finally, my eyes found Avalon He was beaten and bloodied alnition His face ollen and one shoulder hung aardly lower than his other one He was surrounded by two dozen guards and isolated fro me, his face expressionless and his eyes cold I stared at hi… hatred… hurt… hope

Sorowled, my tone acid

"Eden," Kiran's voice broke and he reached out to ain

Slowly, but steadily more Guards started to surround the two of us Soon ere standing in theus carefully