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I didn’t really want to involve the wolves any further - in case they were killed - but they re the their flanks "Hos, and they didn’t obey I saw they planned to stick bythe thought of a fight - so I gave up trying to drive thehtfall, judging the time byto a close, the wolves and I crawled back up the steep tunnel and made our way to the wall at the rear of the Hall of Princes I set to work on the soft layer of rock and carefully carved out a gap big enough for us to squeeze through I was surprised nobody had ever found this weak point before, but it was very high up, and from the other side the wall must have looked solid

I paused briefly to consider the extraordinary run of luck I was enjoying Surviving the gushingh the tunnels to the Hall of Princes Even failing the Trials had been in one respect fortunate - I’d never have found out about the vaainst the Blooded Boars

Was it really just the luck of the va more - like destiny? I’d never believed in fate, but I was beginning to haveprocession distracted hts The hour of Kurda’s investiture had coh the hole, I dropped to the floor, turned, and caught the wolves as they slithered down When ere all ready, we flattened close to the wall of the Hall and edged forward

As we slipped around the curve of the dome, I saw the Generals who’d lined up to welcouard of honor, stretching from the tunnel to the doors of the Hall Almost all were armed, as were the rest of the vampires - the ceremony of investiture was the one time vampires could carry weapons into the chamber Any one of the arht I tried not to dwell on that horrible thought, for fear it ht stop me

The three Princes stood by the open doors of the do to blood Kurda and make him one of their own I spotted Mr Crepsley and Seba close to the Princes Mr Crepsley was staring in the direction of the tunnel - along with everybody else - but Seba had an eye out for htly That meant he’d had words with a few of his staff and had positioned them nearby, with orders to stop any va the ceremony Seba hadn’t told his assistants about reed it was best to keep my presence a secret - and I hoped they wouldn’t hesitate when Ione of Kurda’s men the chance to kill me

The head of the procession entered the cave Six va the clothes that Kurda would put on once he’d been invested Next ca poe the Princes and Kurda There werevampires behind, and their hymnlike tones carried up the tunnel and echoed around the cave

Behind the first eight vampires came the vampire of the moment, Kurda S a loose white robe, blond head bowed, eyes closed I waited until he was halfway between the tunnel and the Princes, then stepped out from the wall, strode forward - the wolves close on my heels - and shouted as loud as I could, "STOP!"

All heads turned, and the chanting ceased inized me at first - all they saas a dirty, half-naked boy, covered in flour - but as I got closer, they gasped and exclaiht as he started toward nored my mentor and stayed focused on the rest of the vans of retaliation

The traitors didn’t delay Two vareen uniforms raised their spears when they saw me, while another pulled out a pair of knives and moved forward to interceptthe confusion, and darted forward to apprehend the spear-wielding varound before they could launch their weapons, disaret to the vampire with the knives - he was too far ahead of Seba’s assistants He broke through the ranks of guards, pushed Mr Crepsley out of the way, and raced toward me He threw one of the knives, but I ducked out of its ith ease Before he could throw the other or get close enough to stick it intowolves launched themselves at him and knocked hi with excite them off, but they were too powerful

One of the wolves sank its teeth into the vampire’s throat and made a brutal end of hi innocent vampires, and by the speed hich this one had reacted, and the determination he’d shown to kill me, he ithout a doubt one of Kurda’s accomplices

The other vampires in the cave had frozen with shock Even Mr Crepsley stopped where he was, eyes wide, panting uncertainly "Darren?" he asked shakily "What is going on? How did -?

"Not now!" I snapped, looking for traitors There didn’t appear to be any ranted, not until I’d said my piece "I’ll tell you about it later," I promised Mr Crepsley, then calmly walked past hi by ly

Kurda had opened his eyes and raised his head at the start of the commotion, but had made no attempt to flee the platform or the cave He stared at me with hard-to-read eyes as I advanced, more wistful than panicky, then rubbed the three small scars on his left cheek ( peace terhed

"What’s going on?" Mika Ver Leth roared, his expression as black as the clothes he wore "Why are those va? Break them apart immediately!"

"Sire!" Seba said quickly, before the order could be obeyed "Those who raised weapons against Darren are not our allies Those who hold theainst releasing them until you have heard Darren speak"