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"Which scares me not It’s not like I haven’t been subjected to your ire before"

I snorted softly, then released e and pluht me, as proht, "have lost far too an"

And the opposite should be happening given I was now pregnant "Yeah, well, tell that to the bad guys who are either interruptingaround "Is there anything here besides a black hole and hellhound bits?"

"There are no cuneifor our sorcerer and sorceress weren’t using it as a juet to their ley-line intersection cha else here?"

"Nothing living"

Fla the shadows and lending the rough-healls a blue glow The cavern was on the s off it A few small tables had been hacked out of the soil and stone, but there was little on theri ago

I drew Amaya and marched toward the first of the two tunnels It was ses tore at , and I soon foundin another chamber This also held empty shelves and tables hewn out of the earth, but there was one major difference here A very elaborate protection circle had been etched into the stone floor, and the melted remains of black candles sat on each of the four cardinal points

The twin scents of frankincense and cedar still lingered in the air, which was odd I knew froainst evil, and I had no doubt that Lauren used this circle to summon evil But maybe she used it for personal protection – it wouldn’t be surprising given what she was su It hat ran under those scents, however – a sharper, almost caustic aroma – that made rimly "This is certainly where she summoned her demons"

"Then we’d better destroy it"

"It will not be the only place froot to be a good thing for us, right?"

Not waiting for his answer, I stepped forward, swung Amaya, and slashed her across the nearest part of the circle The sharp point of her steel scored the stone, cutting the etched lines in two, thereby destroying whatever ain she’d have to redo the entire thing, and that would take tiri else, it would annoy the bitch

"Now all we have to do is find whatever other circles she is using" Azriel touched ainst ht as well since we’re here"

I squeezed back through the rough-hewn tunnel, gaining yet h, thankfully, none were deep enough to bleed The second tunnel ide enough to walk nore as the main one I scanned the floor, but there was little more than dirt here But there were more tables and shelves hacked out of the stone and earth, and this time, not all of them were e the ite I didn’t know enough about the accoutrements of a witch to do so; what I did knoas the fact they could be da

There were old jars of varying sizes, and they seeh there were a few that had dried up bits of animals and one that held what looked suspiciously like strands of hair Hair that was the color of silver

My hair, I very eas he’d placed on , this place ht not be Lauren’s bolt-hole, but rather Lucian’s

"It’s possible they both use it," Azriel commented He stood on the opposite side of the cavern, inspecting several bags "Lucian was certainly on Earth long enough to have becoic"

"Why would he need the help of dark sorcerers, if that is the case?" I peered closer at the jar containing the hair to see if there was any sort of visible trap or alarm, then cautiously lifted it There was no way in hell I was leaving this stuff here for the sorceress to use and abuse The last thing I needed was another spell or geas placed on me

I unscrewed the lid, inserted Amaya’s tip, and watched as she crisped the silken strands until nothing – not even ash – remained That done, I placed the jar back on the shelf and walked across to a table that held a mix of candles, bells, a chalice, and several incense sticks There was absolutely nothing that even remotely resembled any of the weapons that had been stolen from the Military Fair

Frustrated, I walked over to Azriel,interesting?"