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As one, the Council e that wasn't remotely familiar Whatever it was, there was power in it, so much that lued to my seat Archer's hand landed on mine, warm and heavy, and I was reht of the assembly at Hecate Fro, his voice sharp as a blade As stupid as it sounds, I wanted to laugh Looks like I was final y going to get what I'd come here for after al

Dad was beside ers clamped on one of my shoulders "Sophie was at Grayrabbed his hand

"Dad, no!"

But he didn't even glance at aze locked on Mrs Casnoff "I suspected you were the one who had raised Daisy and Nick, and I sent Sophie and Archer to investigate If anyone should go through the Re head of the Council has always been your chief desire I cede it to you freely"He said the sa down ain, a pulse of poent through the rooer, and as I watched, the candles in the roo out Lara took a deep breath and rol ed her shoulders, like so heavy had landed on them Dad seeo back to her mother unharmed"

"Oh, James,"Lara said, almost sadly "Your sacrifice is noble, if pointless and predictable"

Kristopher, Roderick, and Elizabeth were staring at Dad with the sae combination of pity and disdain The dread that had been swirling around inand heavy, stealingwas final y here

"You've been such a disappointaze flicked to me "Both of you"

The whole rooement to continue This was clearly the inia Thorne transforht they'd created the perfect weapon-a being containing more power than dreamed of, yet completely under their control Instead, they ended up with aOf course, Father stil had such high hopes for Lucy, but she refused to work for the Council So the Council sih, James, and then disposed of your parents"

It tookAlexei Casnoff had been Alice's maker, so he'd had control over the whole bloodline He'd randfather And then he'd had her kil ed, too I was surprised I could hear anything over the sudden rushing of blood in

"Father saw the value in using derand used as weapons Father had higher hopes for you"

I didn't think it was possible for Dad to look any paler, but as what Lara was saying sunk in, his skin went papery white Rage and horror coursed through e up, too But whilein lass box I could feel them, but I couldn't access them "Don't bother,"Roderick said to me "As soon as you were sentenced to the Removal, your poere locked away from you Your father's, too, once he'd spoken the spel of binding Very useful piece of ht their way out of the Rehter, and I saw tiny blue sparks on his fingertips I caught his eyes and shook hter, but he wasn't the strongest warlock If he tried so now, he'd just end up as another stain on the wooden floor

Lara was stil looking at Dad "However, my father was a smart man He kept the ritual used to raise Alice just in case you did not prove yourself to be e needed Sadly, you have not Nor has you daughter But we have others"

Dad gave a huh "Nick and Daisy? They're too feral to be of any use to anyone"

"No,"Mrs Casnoff said, speaking for the first time since I'd been sentenced "Nick and Daisy are simply the ones you know about"If it hadn't been Mrs Casnoff, I would have said her eyes seeh against our enemies, James I know you have personal reasons for that, but we sier"

"This is iven The Eye and the Brannicks, the whole damn lot of them, more reason than ever to exterminate our kind"

"They have infiltrated our kind, Ja her lips "We need every weapon at our disposal"

She rong I could feel it inor just co demons would be seen as an act of war There was no doubt in ht about al the evil this one farandfatherand now his daughters wantedwas so insane, I didn't knohether to laugh or scream

But that decision was made for me when Lara nodded toward the back of the roouards, ht, stepped out of the shadows and grabbed Dad

"No!"I shouted, but the guards were already dragging hi aze His voice didn't shake, but I saw fear in his eyes

I stared at hi, to say to him After al , this could be the last time I saw him But my brain was ful of too much terror, and al I could say was, "Dad"

And then he was gone, the sla in the dark chamber

Archer and I were taken to the lowest part of Thorne and put in one of those cel s Dad hadlike what I'd i steel bars, a narrow cot-like a prison Instead, they were just caves with iron doors We were thrown into one of the larger ones, the white rock wal s slick withfroh overhead Power crackled throughout the room-a spel , Archer inforic Apparently he'd discovered that last night