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"What about the roof?" Azriel said "He did not define that the corners had to be the base of the building"

I glanced up The roof was tiled and not particularly steep, but it was very visible froot up there, I’d attract all sorts of unwanted attention

"Then you uess I did I took another deep breath that did next to nothing to release the tension in et this done before Lucian turns up"

I walked across the road, glanced up and down the footpath to see if anyone was paying undue attention to us, then pushed through the old wrought-iron gate and quickly headed around the corner Ivy and shrubs crawled all over the fence lining one side of the path, which would have been the perfect place to hide a stone except for the fact they had to be on the corner of the building I found a crack in the concrete that was as close as I was ever going to get and wedged the lightest-colored stone into it "Blood," I said suddenly "A so, even if requested" He drew Valdis and held her point down, nearHer steel flickered with an odd purple fire It was almost as if she were displeased "She is"

I raised an eyebrow "Why is that?"

His hesitation was brief, but nevertheless there "Because of the connection we have for that was the truth as far as it went, but knowing there was a whole lot more to it than that--and that he wasn’t about to explain it I lightly pressed a fingertip against Valdis’s point Blood welled I let it drop onto the ward In an instant it was gone, sucked into the stone itself Dark, bloody light flickered deeply in its heart, then stilled But it was not inert It aiting

I shivered, then stood and walked to the next corner This tiarden bed that ran the length of the rear of the building When I dropped blood onto it, that dark, bloody light began to beat very slowly

They were co to life

I repeated the process with the third stone, and this tiible It crawled acrossfor completion

I jumped over the rear fence and walked up to the final corner There was absolutely nowhere to safely put the ward It was pave, and there were no cracks in either the concrete or the bricks

"Then let ainst the lowest visible brick near the corner of the building Her flames flared briefly and, in seconds, there was a sh to securely hold the last ward

"Perfect" I squeezed et a final drop of blood, put it on the stone, then hurriedly dropped it in place

The energy that crawled acrossa wall of power that was invisible, but not entirely silent It re under high-voltage power lines It would certainly be a warning to those ere sensitive to such things that so

I rose and aze "Are you sure the wards will keep you out?"

In answer, he raised his hand and held it close to the wall Little bolts of lightning shot toward his fingertips, a warning of as to come if he pressed closer

He lowered his hand "The Aedh is here"

"The bastard is early" I flexed rab Amaya and thrust her sharp point into Lucian’s dark heart, then forced a smile and walked around the corner

He waited in the middle of the three arches that"Lucian," I said, voice somehow very neutral "How pleasant to see you"

Amusement touched his lips "And said with such sincerity, too Just as well you’re a restaurateur rather than an actress, " I stopped several feet away and crossed et into the exhibition You can pay"

"My pleasure" But his gaze wasn’t on er that exploded fro, it actually forced ed to rein it in, to not attack Lucian, I had no idea But he did

He didn’t say anything, either Maybe he simply couldn’t, lest it break the wall of control

"Lucian, cut the shit and just get inside," I growled "We’re here to find the key, remember?"

"So we are," heto know that I have succeeded where he has failed"

"I wouldn’t be so certain of that," I bit back, then pushed him up the stairs Just for a moment, darkness flared in his eyes, yet another reminder that the man I’d spent so much time as not the person he truly was

I followed hi’s foyer Old bank-teller-type s lined one wall, and it was behind several of these that tickets could be purchased

"I see your father has done his bit toat the woman as he paid the entrance fees

"It’s just unfortunate he was unable to keep the likes of you out"