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"So how in the hell aet into the place if you can’t helpthe Raziq for help"

Anger surged, strong enough to snatchdown Amaya’s sides "That would be unwise"

"Then how about offering a fucking solution, instead of just threats?" I snapped "Because if you want the sorcerer shut down before he can use the key, I need some help"

"There’s your reaper While they are not initiated into the order, they have always had access to the teret storing er than this I’d survived Jak’s betrayal, and I’d get over this, too I had to, because this time, there was more than just my heart and my mother’s reputation at stake This time, there were lives on the line Many lives

A world of them, in fact

I fiercely thrust the pain aside "Didn’t you just say the gates are within grounds? Why, then, would the reapers be able to access the teuides, needed access to the former not the latter

"At one tione, and the reapers have been forced to do what the priests once did"

And that was keeping the gates in working order, as well as stopping anything – and everything – that tried to escape hell With the first hell gate now open,into the fields and subsequently onto Earth, and the Mijai – ere the reaper soldiers – found themselves spread very thin indeed

God, I hope Azriel is keeping hiht back into its box "My reaper is no longer part of this et his help"

"It is not like one of the Mijai to abandon a mission before it is finished"

"He didn’t abandon it I banished him"

"But you could not do that unless he --" He stopped, and once again I felt his a develop abouthim?"

"The mere fact that you could"

Which in no way explained his aht answer? "Care to go into a bit limmer of amusement trailed around me "You are not unprotected, however The Mijai still need you, just as the Raziq and I still need you"

"Meaning so their distance, and refusing to interact with me in any way? Because I certainly hadn’t sensed their presence

"Yes What their plans are beyond that, I have no idea Nor do I have any interest, other than reiance must lie with me Otherwise --"

"My friends will die," I cut in, annoyance back inbefore So tell et reaper support?"

"You are not the only half Aedh in this city, and the other is also trained as a priest He could get you in" He paused "However, you will not gain access into the quarters the chrání and I shared withoutabout Uncle Quinn And while I really didn’t want to involve either hi quest anymore and more like there was no other choice "And the price of your help is no doubt the key"

"No," he said, voice so o down my spine "The price of the key is the life of your friend"

And just like that, the facade of civility snapped

Power surged, an energy so fierce itto pull me apart Amaya screamed in response, and flames leapt from the point of her blade But they swirled around ai to attack

And she couldn’t, because my father had disappeared Completely disappeared

A heartbeat later, Ilianna screamed

Chapter 2

Oh fuck, no!

I spun and raced out of the kitchen Ilianna’s screams stopped as abruptly as they’d started, and the only noise in the house noas the thunder of my footsteps as I raced up the stairs If he’d hurt Ilianna in any way --

I sed heavily – as ainst fear as fury – and followed the tendrils of power that was my father’s presence

"Enter," he said, as I approached a door near the end of the hall "And witness what awaits should you fail"

I flexed ainst Amaya’s hilt, then opened the door and stepped inside The rooh lilac rather than roses seemed to be the dominant theme here Ilianna and Mirri stood in the middle of the room and, despite my fears, both were not only alive, but apparently unhurt

But this wasabout He was perfectly capable of tearing one or both of theod that wasn’t what he was planning now

My gaze reen depths I saw fear and fury co – aze flicked toward her mate I stepped closer, and saw the luminous blue threads that had been wrapped around Mirri’s neck