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She arched a dark brow "The Oracles ht to question her"

"I’ll let Styx and the Commission hash out jurisdiction" He slid the sword into the scabbard angled across his back "I have no interest in politics"

Soh her eyes

Relief?

But why?

Because he had no political aht

"I’ll ask Levet to keep watch on her until the clan chief arrives," she offered before glancing around the rapidly decaying building "Not that anyone would willingly corimaced at the thick emotion that poured off poor Melinda and filled the air "It’s as potent as the violence was in the swamps And no doubt as potent as the lust that swayed Melinda and her friends into their first orgy Do you see a pattern?"

"Emotions," she readily admitted

Of course she would have connected the dots, he wryly acknowledged

Her intelligence was as lethal as her powers

"Strong, priaze "Why?"

"I don’t know"

"Mierda" He ra out his cell phone "Why do I bother?"

"Santiago" Her fingers landed lightly on his ar a damn how rude he sounded She’d slammed the door in his face for the last time She wanted all business between them? Fine They would be all business

"I’ll tell you what I do know," she said softly

He froze, frowning at her with open suspicion "Why?"

She blinked, clearly having expected hi your pardon?"

"Why are you suddenly willing to share?"

She hesitated, then, stepping back, she wrapped her aresture

As if she was feelingvulnerable

"Because you were right"

He was right?

Was the sky falling?

"I need you to say that again," he said slowly

"You were right," she repeated "It’s not fair to ask you to assist er"

He of heart, but he’d never been a va"

"I’m sure you’ve heard ruo snorted at the ridiculous question Like every va the Veil

"The one where it’s a rift in tih?" he asked "Or the one where you ascended godlike to a higher plane of existence?"

She grimaced "The Commission circulated a dozen different stories after they created the Veil"

So the Oracles had been responsible for the wild tales Interesting "Why?"

"So no one would guess their true purpose"

"And that was?"

"To trap a creature on the other side"

Santiago took aconfession Of all the stories that had circulated over the centuries, he’d never heard even a whisper that the Veil was some sort of cosmic prison

"What creature?"

"I’m not entirely sure"

He snorted Did she think he was stupid?

"How can you not know?"

She paused--not like she was going to refuse to answer, but as if she was carefully considering her words "From what I was told, it’s more a spirit than an actual creature"