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"I’m not certain, but I think the sorcery is more than just a protective spell"

The handsome vampire frowned Obviously he was like every other leech who preferred to pretend ic didn’t exist rather than try to understand a power he couldn’t battle against

"You’re going to have to befrom the book," she said, her tone hesitant

"Whichat her botto the blind since her knowledge of sorcery could fit in a thi She could sense Roke’s straining impatience They had about two h the brick walls

"I ht be able to use the book"

"Nooooo"

The hair-raising shriek ca backward, Sally turned to watch a strange, black mist float out of the o cursed, pressing the Roainst his chest until she could s to burn and a flow of blood stained his T-shirt

"Stay back," he rasped

The o’s threat Then, with a movement too swift for her eyes to follow, it darted across the roo forward But as fast as he was, he was a half step too slow as the ained consciousness while they were focused on the mysterious book

Time seeo rushing toward her with such an intense sense of loss it was painful to witness Then, as Santiago reached her, those dark eyes were filled with an unearthly glow and her slender hands wrapped around the gold o cried out, but he couldn’t halt the inevitable

He reached for her, but she was already gone

Santiago roared, his fury exploding the overhead lights and coating the walls in a layer of frost

Nefri

That bastard had taken his fe to rip him apart and feed hi to

"Santiago," a harsh voice broke through his searing rage "My son"

With a growl he whirled toward Gaius, who remained pinned to the wall His fored to reveal the sharp angles of his brittle bones His dark eyes were sunken, although they’d lost the weird-ass glow, and only a few tenacious clumps of hair reo hissed, flowing across the floor, intent on finishing off the vaaze was pleading as Santiago halted directly in front of him "Please, I need to tell you"

"What?"

"I’ust Did this vaance to believe that after all he’d done--the abandonain Santiago’s forgiveness?

But even as he lifted his hand to strike the killing blow, Santiago found hi her medallion Which meant he couldn’t track her It could take hours, if not days to discover where she’d gone

The creature had been inside Gaius for weeks If anyone would knohere it was headed, it would be this pathetic wreck

A gut-wrenching pain nearly doubled hier he slaaunt face

"Where did he take her?"

Gaius flinched, but he refused to be distracted "Please, Santiago, I thought Dara had been returned to o pulled back his lips, exposing his fangs in a visible warning "Tell me where he took her"

"But she was an illusion," Gaius continued, as if SantiagoDara had been returned Gaius was eager to bla ive a shit" Santiago wrapped his hands around Gaius’s too-thin neck Every second separated fro wound "Tell me where they went or I’ll kill you"

"You should kill er ed to keep hi as Gaius ing in his bout of self-pity he would be useless "What do you want fro lips "I need"

"What?"

"I need your forgiveness"