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"My knowledge is fragmented and far too on admitted "I never encountered the actual spirit in person Thank htened his hand on his sword Knowing that the all-powerful dragon was afraid of the spirit wasn’t particularly heartening "Why?"

"It’s clai off any deht be"

"It feeds off deed "It doesn’t seeot better and better

Gri list of reasons why he should return to Styx and tell him to appoint another vampire to hunt down Gaius

The spirit was an enemy He needed to approach it as he would any other ene as much intel as he could

"You said that its spawn had their own ," he said "Which I assume means it doesn’t drink blood or suck souls"

Baine s with fire "No"

"Then what the" Santiago stilled, cursing hi so dense It all made perfect, horrible sense now "Mierda"

Nefri sent hilance "What is it?"

"Emotion," he rasped "It feeds off emotion"

Her eyes widened, easily able to make the same connection that he had "Of course"

"So, not all brawn," Baine drawled

Santiago narrowed his gaze "I have my moments"

"If this creature feeds off emotion, it makes sense that it would inspire fear and lust and violence ahts out loud

"And demons," Baine reminded her

"Yes, and demons" Her brow furrowed "But why use Gaius to spread the eer on the ar the eave a hesitant nod "As certain as we can be at this point"

"This spirit," Santiago abruptly interrupted, "is it able to take corporeal form?"

Baine shook his head "Like vao scowled "What’s that supposed to s to another"

Santiago glanced toward Nefri They’d been chasing what they thought were two de possessed by the spirit?

"Gaius?"

She chewed her botto someone"

"She never did see the ‘soh her expression reht now they could do no more than ood

He turned back to the dragon "The most important question is hoe kill it?"

"Are you sure that’s what you want?" The a "It is, after all, your ultion’s intrusion into histo enjoy a full-blown spiritual crisis Unfortunately for hio was a warrior, not as eins withEventually it will disintegrate into war, genocide, and fa and he instinctively rubbed a co hand down her back

Not that he had much comfort to offer

Dammit, hadn’t they just prevented the end of the world? Now they had to face war and genocide and famine?

Where was the justice in that?

"You didn’t answer the question," he reon, in no ? He was never in the mood to be diplomatic But after the past feeeks he was even more impatient than usual "Hoe kill it?"

Baine’s tattoos swirled in warning, although his voice reon knew everything but the information they most needed

Predictable

"Great"