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"How did you know there’s a tunnel?" Yuli asked

Good question,Daeht

"The Arcerian cats build dens deep beneath the snow," Jaenelle replied "Since sonize the feel of a tunnel or charound That was the only way I could find their ho tunnels like this since you were a child?" Dae of Arcerians…"

Jaenelle held out her hand, palled web appeared, protected by a bubble shield that rested in her hand A moment after that…

Yuli stared at the white cat that now stood on Jaenelle’s hand

"This is an Arcerian cat," Jaenelle said

"It’s so tiny"

I wish,Daeave hiht--or at least suspected what he was thinking

"This is the first stage of the illusion," Jaenelle said "This little cat will get as big as the real ones" With a fingertip, she stroked the tiny white head

The purr that came out of that little shadoas that of full-sized Kaelas when he was being petted and was a happy, happy cat--the purr that was strong enough to thened bed vibrate

"You know Surreal," Jaenelle said to the shadow cat "You know Rainier You know Lucivar You will not hurt them If someone is with them and they tell you the person is a friend, you will not harm that person" She paused, then added too softly,

"Kill everything else that tries to leave"

The tiny cat vanished Because he was trying to sense it, Daemon felt the round beneath them

"The shadow has slipped under your shield," Jaenelle said

"Now the next part of the spell will engage"

Yes, Daemon decided as the three of them walked back to the Coach Jaenelle’s shadow Kaelaswas better than si that tunnel would find an eight-hundred-pound cat waiting to kill him

Try to touch it and it would be as solid as set out of that tunnel except the people the shadow had been told to recognize

TWENTY-ONE

"It’s solid," Rainier said, giving the ceiling above the stairs one last whack with the poker before joining Surreal and the children "The spell h the floor"

"Da Craft, the Blood could pass through solid objects--like walls and floors--but it wasn’t so flesh through a solid object without the person’s being aware of the pass could be fatal

Of course, that wasn’t likely to be a consideration here

Raising her arm to rub her forehead, she al not to use Craft She wasn’t used to having her hands full all the time She tucked the poker under her other ar the candle with the witchfire flaet locked into the spells in this house?" she asked Rainier as she rubbed her forehead "Have you counted theo back up the stairs to reach the first floor?"

"I’m not sure I’ve re close to "last one, the game is over" You and I could make the pass If we each carried one, we could take two of the children with us But that’s all we could do"

Which ht be down here Not a choice she wanted to make

"And there’s no certainty that if we did this, ould end up where we intended," Rainier added

"Let’s see e can find down here," she said

A few steps away frouttered and went out, except for the one holding the witchfire

"Air currents," Rainier said, a hint of relief in his voice "Maybe there’s an exit down here after all"

A roar filled the cellar, both threat and warning

"Do you think that’s really one of the cats?" Surreal asked when she could hear again

"Whoever built this place ed to kill two Black Widows and an Eyrien warrior, as well as who kno ame Why not one of the cats? You wouldn’t need one that wore Jewels, just one as kindred and could make the transforth against the cat’s"

"We’d have no chance," Surreal said griuess that’s the direction wedon’t go in"

"Agreed Now let’s find a way to get back upstairs"

Lucivar grinned as he watched the little black beetles cover the botto black beetles--and pop