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Bella, Shelton, and Iback hallways to avoid students the best we could Knowing Bigglesworth was dead was certainly a heavy weight off uard down

I reached the gates to the Fairy Garden, took a deep breath, and headed toward the pond with a confident stride Shelton and Bella stayed back to cover my retreat, should one be necessary

The Lady of the Pond and her annoying boyfriend leapt froreet me

"You are persistent," the woman said "And do not listen to the wisdom of women"

"I want to listen to your wisdo him to question the truth of that

"He speaks the truth," theyour lady here isn’t the truth detector," I told him "Because you’d probably be in trouble all the tiave me a surly look and cracked his knuckles

"I do not need his abilities to divine the truth of what he says," the lady said "I also know I have no need to worry about him He is ever honest when he tarries with the dryads of the woods But he is male, and nature deri I wanted to iuy--oh never ard to Ezzek Moore"

The lady’s eyes went fro to discuss"

"The infernal name," I said "I need it, or everyone here will die"

"He speaks the truth," thevoice

I rolledhe was "There’s a de the arch with the Cyrinthian Rune in it The arch is ready to explode by the end of the week, and it’ll take this entire place with it"

The man opened his mouth to speak, but the lady interrupted "That you know of these things is very troubling" She ht circle around us "Very troubling"

I backed away, eyes searching the circle, but the trees were too thick to break without h, and too tall to ju to have to killto search me out "My dear friend, Ezzek, told me any person other than the child must never possess this information I do not wish to kill you, but I will hold you prisoner"

"That didn’t work out so well last time," I reminded her

"We will hold you beneath the waters," she said, looking at the black waters of the pond

I thought of being dragged into those depths and gulped I’d sprout demon claws and climb over these trees if I had to before I’d allow her to take me in the pond Besides, I just knew she and her man probably peed in the water all the ti at straws "He didn’t like theh, even if she wasn’t biologically his"

The lady tilted her head and regarded s?"

I took a cal breath before I spoke "Ezzek is dead Whatever plans he had for the rune perished with hi the rune, but I proht back Unfortunately, there’s a deuardian there, and I need its name so it won’t bite my head off"

"He speaks the truth," theat me, most likely about my earlier comment

Some people just can’t handle the truth

The lady looked from the man to me, eyes uncertain "The intended one is fe man"

Could she et the rune "How do you know it’s a female child? Did Ezzek specifically tell you that the only person you could give this inforirl?"