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In the past, her father had spurned such things, but after his son Jack’s death, things had changed He e, and stepped back "I’m proud of you, Elyssa"

"Thanks, Dad" she said, unable to repress a beautiful s the others for thethis to order"

She offered him a smart salute, kissed me on the cheek, and went inside the cohtliss?" I asked

She took , Justin I hope you’ll be pleased"

I looked to Thooing to become a Templar, too?"

She smiled "Not exactly"

I narrowedon?"

Katie wandered up to our group, grinning brightly "Did you tell hihtliss

"Not yet"

Katie looped her aronna be so surprised," she said, and led lance back at Nightliss, confused and a little worried She hadn’t been at full strength since Ivy had healed her from Daelissa’s curse I hoped she wasn’t about to do so she wasn’t ready for

We took our seats and waited for the procession Katie releaseddown the row at Ash He looked at her, and quickly turned away, his face red

"Are you two still seeing each other?" I asked

She shook her head "No After they went vampire, I just couldn’t look at hilad you took away the vauess we never reconnected, you know?"

I nodded "Looks like he still has feelings for you"

A sad smile clouded her face "Yeah I just don’t feel like I’m ready for another relationship They all end badly"

I didn’t even want to remind her of Brad Nichols He’d been a recruit of Maxih to properly turn a no curse, turning hi dead He’d proh school officials ere trying to blackmail me The incident remained a dark stain in uy, so I couldn’t iine how brutal his death had been for her

"Ash and Nyte have been training with Templar initiates," Katie said "I think they’re really serious about using the abilities you gave them Maybe if Ash applies hihed, her hand brushing against mine "Elyssa is so lucky to have you, Justin We all are"

I tugged ona bit embarrassed by the sudden praise "You’re all lucky to still be alive," I said "I think I’ve nearly gotten you killed on two or three occasions"

Her laugh echoed across the crowd right when everyone stopped talking She cla mortified

A trumpet blared, and a drum punctuated the air with a precisearmor, red crosses atop white shields emblazoned on their chest plates appeared from the direction of the old stone church to the side of the house They wore no helnized one of the people in the line as Christian Salazar, the cos with the same symbols marched behind the commanders, followed by drummers and trumpeters

The commanders stopped before Thomas Borathen The dru, leaving a sudden silence hanging in the air

Christian saluted Thoion is at your coave a short bow and backed into line Each commander followed suit I counted thirteen in all, and wondered how al and the Synod

After Thos, he shouted a command The drums rapped a complex series of beats, and the truasp of awe and followed other’s gazes to see an ar fro to the military cadence in perfect unison I had never seen so many Teht every unit under his command, or if this was just a sample of the entire army