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"No matter what she offered," I said, "I can’t believe Athena would give up her powers She has to be lying, setting a trap instead"

I leaned closer to hih walls and into the study?" I’d only ever seen hi

"I’ve been practicing Last night I was able to get inside the office next to the study"

"What about the wards?"

"Depends on where I go in, I think" He studied Presby "I’ht the only opportunity to see if the Hands are still inside the jar"

Then fear went throughinto Presby and couldn’t, what if he slaot stuck in it? It’d kill hione, a rush of air slapping aze to Presby, heart leaping into my throat

FIFTEEN

HIS BODY WENT LIGHT AS he vanished Just energy directed with thoughts that were still his His father had told his who could trace like he did So quickly, so easily Disappearing and reappearing at will But he hadn’t ht into the stone walls of Presby

He’d do it for her, for Ari To show her he was sorry, that he still cared

In his ray shadow of the school and pictured the slasson the third floor If he hit, at least he’d crash through glass and not end up in a crumpled heap on the street below He ended up in the study, his body solidifying in a blur of speed

There were guards inside the room Shit

His entrance was so swift, at first they didn’t notice hiods stepped toward hi that came to h hiifts that , too strong Too uards opened his mouth

Sebastian cut him off "Don’t speak Stay where you are until I say otherwise"

His entire body was a Shit Okay He was in He’d done it Now he needed to get Ari He closed his eyes and willed hiain He grabbed her in his ar her with his power as they traced back into the study

Once they were there and solid, he released Ari She stumbled out of his hold "Jesus!" Her body tensed as she saw the guards, her handher hand "We should go"

Ari waved at the guards They didn’t even blink "What did you do to the to the ancient vase sitting in the corner Anesidora’s Jar was as tall as he was It washandles on either side Sy had been stamped into the sides, and decorations had once been painted around its body, but many of those were only in traces now, just flecks of black and red color The jar had a sliain near the base

A large, jagged crack ran from the neck to just above the base It was a thick crack you could put your hand into, a deep space, black and eerie, and it always gave hiers into the crack Light spilled around her fingers as she pried it open and stepped inside

He drew in a deep breath and followed

Darkness surrounded them The jar was a vast diht illu marble counter It was quiet "There’s no music," he whispered The Keeper always played opera on an old phonograph

As they approached the counter, Sebastian heard the scratch and skip of a record player Ari looked over her shoulder at him, concern written on her face, and then she ju rows of study tables to the phonograph She picked up the needle and set it aside

"He’s got to be here so rows, its shelves containing books, manuscripts, scrolls, statues, and treasures the outside world had never before seen It was vast, and daunting, all surrounded by black empty space

"I’ll start at this end," he said "Call if you find anything"

She nodded and took off, disappearing down a row He started off, his steps echoing on theon an eerie quality without the randone A handful of hours ago she’d been alive She’d called him into her office and made some lofty speech about his future and family traditions She’d had the nerve to de mass with her at the cathedral All Arnauds had attended St Louis’s since co to the city in the 1770s They always sat in the front pew, right in front of the flat stone that lay over the grave of Andres Al hireed She’d loved the fact that he caave her over him In her weird way, she loved hirandson was the most powerful heir in the Nove for power, as much as he’d tried to reht she’d be there, the bane of his existence And now she wasn’t

And he wasn’t sure how he felt about that He was sad for her death, yes Of course Sad for his family

"Sebastian!"

He raced to the aisle of study tables, looking down each row until he found her far down at the end of a row, on her knees