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"Wait--"

Doly taken out four of the six active Pan-Celts and was advancing on a fifth The tallto fend off Magnus and Horatio At one point, his blade clipped Horatio’s wing, and Justin staggered as excruciating pain--far h hiht, and he felt their presence settle back into his h the pain rean blessed the blade

You did a good job, Justin assured hirab Mae in the fray and carry her away froone, the tall ht, Justin threw hi him stumble and mess up his attack Justin hadn’t seen any makeshift weapons and had no idea how one really atteht would be enough to throw the

The er, which cut his cheek More searing pain shot through hinus

The nized Justin and strode forward "The servitor How unexpected"

"Why? Did you think your assassin would take me out?" Behind his adversary, Justin saw that the un Do clear of it ht as the others Justin was on his own

"Assassin?" The Morrigan’s servant looked couar one"

Thean assassin after you Your god, whoever he is, is too weak for od hates you"

"Yeah? Then how come--"

Justin’s words died as Mae suddenly leapt up from the altar With no hesitation, she threw herself on the tall man, destruction in her eyes He fell but shifted to smoke and darted away before she could pin hi opposite her The er was there now, as he circled around with Mae Each watched every move, no matter how sEven the divine force in the roo its breath

Dominic’s words about Mae’s recovery had proven true She showed no signs of her earlier distress Her eyes narrowed as she assessed theher weight into the altar It was co on two others, and she hit it in just the right way to h the air, and the Morrigan’s asped

"Is that a problem, Emil?" Mae asked She backed up farther, alrabbed one of the masks and hurled it to the floor It shattered "What about this?"

The ry red "You’ll die for this desecration"

"I’ today," she replied evenly "And even if I did, I wouldn’t go to your goddess"

"She created you! You belong to her"

"She doesn’t have a claim on me anymore" She destroyed another h blood’s been paid"

Until now, everything Emil had done had been very calculated and controlled, but his e the best of hi to smoke--only it was short-lived He looked surprised to reerously close to her with the Morrigan-blessed dagger

Dominic had finally finished with the others and had his confiscated gun pointing at Emil Justin hurried over "No, let her finish hi Es as she went It should’ve given his, but with each part of the temple she took out, he seeer shifted form He was still fast and sharp but not in a superhu;torian way

"Just wait," Justin told Do toward the middle of the room noith Emil in hot pursuit Too late, Justin sahat she didn’t catch in her periphery: One of the Pan-Celts who’d been incapacitated had corabbed hold of Mae’s leg when the deadly dance was close enough Mae stu hiht for her heart Justin had no idea if the charm that had protected her earlier was still in effect--nor did he have need to find out

Mae rolled in a way that let her break free of the grasping woer from its boot sheath Eer--not even when he threw hiht of his body knocked her down, but it was too late Her dagger pierced his thigh, causing him to scream and recoil in pain He dropped his own blade and actually tried tohim over onto his back so that she could hover over hier down for a second strike--into his heart Justin saw theout of his mouth this tier out and got to her feet, standing and watching without expression as her victim twitched and bled After several horrific seconds passed, Eh the air, and then the tingling Justin had felt against his skin vanished

"No one ever expects the knife," Mae said flatly She studied Emil’s body a few moments an’s gone" She caught Justin’s arhter She was here earlier, pressing down, trying to get into me But she couldn’t That was because of you, wasn’t it? What you did to me earlier?"