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Only trouble was, the pain of Jak’s death was still so raw I ret

"Then ignore it," Azriel said, ever practical

"If I do, he’s more than likely to order me arrested"

He frowned "Why would he do that?"

"Because I’ he wants answers about Jak’s murder and why Hunter would want him dead"

And how could I explain any of that without stepping into territory that could ultier? Because Hunter would kill hiht it necessary to both keep her secrets and me on the leash

I took a deep, somewhat quivery breath, then reached for the phone and hit the vid-screen’s Answer button Rhoan appeared To say his expression was thunderous was so on, Risa?" he all but exploded "Why the hell would Madeline Hunter want Jak Talbott dead?"

I was tempted to tell him that was a question he should ask the lady herself, but I didn’t actually want him anywhere near the bitch Not when she was so intent on teaching me a lesson I licked ive ray eyes "You know exactly why she ordered the hit, and I’h the back of the assassin Tellto haul your ass into the Directorate and ation official"

Part of ht back at him; the other,I wanted was a confrontation with Uncle Rhoan, but I guess it was always bound to happen As I kept fucking noting, it wasn’t like fate had shown any propensity to give me a break

Which meant I had only one choice

Honesty

I swore internally and scrubbed my free hand across e I couldn’t quite prevent, "and you ht well kill everyone we both care about"

His expression didn’t change If anything, it gotabout?"

"Look, we can’t do this over the phone Meet me at the café" I hesitated, then added, "Co it Not even Aunt Riley"

"I’ll be there in tenyou"

"I won’t"

He hung up and I threw the phone back intofor a second time

What of your astral watchers? Azriel said If Markel is on duty, you will – ainst the possibility of thereported to Hunter It is doubtful that the others would be so recalcitrant, given what Markel has said about them And Hunter’s reaction will be swift and deadly

I know Just as I knew that if I wanted to stopback, there was only one way I was going to do it

But could I take that step?

Could I take the life of so hout history have lost their lives doing nothing more than their duty, Azriel coed on the fields or here on Earth

Yeah, but this isn’t a war

That’s where you’re very wrong This is a war, and perhaps the only one that has everfor the lives of your friends, but for the souls of mankind and the existence of two – very different – worlds

I knew all that But I’d been hoping – perhaps naively – to survive this whole hed Let’s just hope it’s Markel following me, then

You would need to be sure before you meet your uncle

Yes But we have ten h tih tih ht, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes Several seconds later, I stepped onto the astral plane

It wasn’t Markel atched ray hair, swarthy features, and dead black eyes His gaze, when it met mine, showed neither interest nor surprise, but rather the natural wariness of a warrior who has seen an to churn I didn’t want to do this I didn’t want to take this vahost, with no future to look forward to But I had no choice I had to protect my friends and family – and Rhoan and Riley were the only fa to take the her shadowed in ht appeared in my hand, but her blade was hidden, at one with the shadows that surrounded us

If the vay that had briefly accon of it