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As I said, I aic, but there would be little difference between you and a full Aedh when you take on Aedh forrunted and sheathed A I could do now--

Don’t Azriel’s voice was as fierce as I’d ever heard it The risk is unnecessary We can keep watch on this place and uncover whether Lucian--

But even if we do confirs, that won’t tell us where these pillars take hi the advantage for ourselves

But this--

Has to be done

I cannot follow you when you are in Aedh form The words practically stabbed into my brain No matter where those stones deposit you, until you take huain, I will not be able to help you

I know But if I do get stuck, or I’et there She’s s I’d barely even finished the thought when Ah the outer reaches of et a sword that not only had a bloodthirsty bent, but also liked being complimented

I am aware of that I still think this is an unnecessary risk

It undoubtedly was, but if we really wanted to get ahead of these bastards, we needed to do the unexpected

I stepped out of the stones and called to the Aedh again She ca me almost instantly, a storer than moments before It shookto do hatever Malin had done

Then I thrust the thought away and drifted closer to the pillars Once again they ca with the sa I’d been right--they were priy

How they’d react totheet that answer by hovering here staring at the das

I forced ic

Just for athrough my atoms, a sensation that was si an Aedh It encoht orb of energy--where I hung, ain, and I was suddenly back between two stones But not the same two, I realized These stones were smaller, darker, and stood in a square, less rooe locker

Exciteed in equal amounts I carefully moved from between the two stones, then slowly turned around The room was small--maybe ten feet square--hite walls and coffee-colored carpet that had seen better days There was nothing else besides the stones, although the carpet still bore the impressions of furniture that had once been present

I turned fully around and found the door It was closed and, on closer inspection, locked Not that that was a probleap between the base of the door and the carpet, and found -high, alht and, beyond it, there was a decent-sized courtyard To my left were four more closed doors and, down at the far end, what looked to be a kitchen

Other than the soft ticking of a distant clock, the house was silent If someone was here, they were deathly quiet I hesitated, then cautiously moved to the left I wasn’t about to take any chances, even though there was little chance of anyone seeing me in this form

Anyone human, that was

Which didn’t mean I was safe Whoever owned this place was, at the very least, involved with awith either Nadler or Lucian, or both Either way, they were likely to be e human

The first door led into a small but neat bathroom, and the next tere bedrooht be using them, but other than the fact they were male, I didn’t find much