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"You have to use it, Mol You have to drain so and everyone around you, even from a distance, like it did the two vaot sick and had to be healed You have a choice You can practice on the vamp who stole you and hurt you The witch vamp ants to kill Leo and take over New Orleans The witch ants to use the blood diamond, which probably means he’ll reinstitute blood sacrifice, probably of witch children," I said carefully, still piecing it all together "You can take the steps you’re talking about, and let Shoffru win Or you can help stop him Your choice Run"--I ood out of the evil"

Molly took a breath that sounded painful In the dark, I couldn’t see her tear-streaked face, but I saw her hands fist in her dirty shirt Deep inside ut I was able to rise straight I caughther

"And if I kill him?" she asked "If I turn him into a pile of ash like the plants in the hotel rooht?" She gusted out a sob "What if I lose control?"

I remembered the wash of blood on the wall, the splatter made as Shoffru lifted Eli and tossed hi And I reht and the power to claim prisoners as slaves, or adopt them as family and kin, or conde" Part of an ancient ritual But Molly wasn’t ready to hear that she was about to become a War Woman

"If you start to do too much, I’ll bonk you on the head and knock you out," I said softly

Molly stuttered a laugh She rinding "Ah, hell" I blinked at the sord Molly never swore Of course, she never killed two vamps either "I’ve le heartbeat to worry Beast, you better be able to do what you said

Beast sniffed and looked away, bored

Boots crunching on the ground, I walked toward Molly "Don’t get too close," she said, the fear ic flicker around her, the shadoavering and splintering on the ground

"Nah I’onna do a little experi plants "Without killing anything but that, I want you to kill every plant in it"

"That’s sohed, pulled a twenty froe of the pot "Kill it Just that Nothing else"

"I’ve never done this--"

"Do it!" I snarled

Molly juic coiled Like a spring-loaded, compound archery bow, it ai flickered, hot and fast Everything in the pot shriveled and died and turned to ash It took maybe two seconds Maybe one and a half Molly let a breath out with a whoosh, as if she had been holding it for days The lightning around her settled into a slow pulse, and I realized that her ic was synced to her heartbeat, her adrenaline, her very life force

"Iic?"

Molly closed her eyes, herdown in a frown She turned away, crossed her ar herself together "You kno it felt"

"Yeah I do," I said gently "Say it Accept it Own it"

"I" Her voice shuddered "Don’t" Her grips tightened "Want To"

"Tough It’s yours Deal with it"

Molly whirled on me "What do you know about it? What do you know about anything?" The lightning flickered, gaining strength frooing for etting told a lot tonight Soon I’d have no secrets left anyave me a knife when I was five years old," I drawled "She tookthat knife, and helped oing wide, herto make me into a War Woo to ith her husband or in his place if he fell in battle Who could protect her children and her tribe Who could use wisdo to reic that kills?"

"It felt good You know it felt good You could smell it on me"

"Yep Now kill that" I pointed to a small tree "I’ll pay for it"