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He drew out almost as quickly "Shit," he murmured "I know this has been too much but this isn’t exactly e the subject Why don’t you tellabout yourself?"

She looked at hiain Finally, she said, "What would you like to know?"

He released a s?"

"I was born here"

"Do you have family?"

"Yes, I have a brother and a sister My sister is married She recently had a baby and I just found out she’s pregnant again" She thought back to her conversation with Joy Only a few hours had passed, not even twelve, yet she felt as though she had just lived an entire lifeti well Dad’s a cop and Mom has worked part-time at the Fry’s deli ever since I can remember"

"What do you like to do for fun?"

"I love books of all kinds I can’t get enough I’ht seeht now she wished herself out of the whole situation Unfortunately, if Kerrick was right, it ay too late for regrets

He glanced at her again "Hey, I have an idea Why don’t you rest for a bit while I drive you home? You must be exhausted"

"I couldn’t Not after all this"

"I can help First, tell htforward instructions in a flat voice

They ell along the 51 now, still heading north, alestion and she grasped it tightly, like she was drowning and he’d just thrown her a life preserver

She yawned I like you inthere

And he was there as he had been a few o, more than just telepathy, more like a shared presence, at least for a reat deal of peace behind She closed her eyes

Crace was living a nightone on the offensive the ned for the past forty-five enerals shouted, and Crace shouted back Chairs had been knocked around, phones rang, un into the rooed for some time now Fortunately Crace kne to do verbal battle, how to spin the spin "You stand there and blanment Wait at the Borderland, take out Kerrick then the ascendiate How hard could that have been? You had twelve death vampires with you I only left the command center for nine minutes and"--here he used his most powerful voice with seven-split resonance and added telepathy for the entire room--"you fucked it up"

Several of the officers fell on their knees, holding their heads in their hands Telepathy coupled with the spoken as a powerful weapon against lesser minds Throw in a little preternatural resonance and just about everyone caved A few h Jesus, the vampire had power yet he had still failed to take out Warrior Kerrick and the ascendiate

Leto narrowed his eyes "I will say it again: Madaht in theminutes since we had to float down in the usual way By the time we reached the alley, Warrior Kerrick had ascendiate Wells in a car, a goddamn car, and into the street, and you know da vehicle And ive pursuit and you know it"

"You should have anyway!" Crace shouted "And the fuck if I will listen to any ht, of course Once Kerrick took off in the car, the opportunity vanished No one he knew could fold to a ht on Mortal Earth were easily detected by Central’s fucking grid Warrior Thorne would have been called, and the bastard would have been within his fucking rights to send a regiment of Militia Warriors after the offender

Militia Warriors weren’t anywhere near as powerful as the weakest death vaet the job done On top of that, COPASS would have been required to prosecute the Commander despite how much control Greaves had over the Committee Given time, he would have more control, but for nohat a shitfest

Still, Leto pressed his point "All we needed was the same boost to Mortal Earth and ould have had her" His face darkened and his voice altered as he e-coain, where the hell were you?"

Crace’s knees buckled--so, yeah, Leto had power--but he didn’t fall More groans erupted throughout the war room The only probleht ear His head throbbed

However, this situation, and his nine minutes with his wife, would not sit ith the Co in a roo he had to do to save his ass Greaves was a different story His bowels turned to water at the thought of facing him