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"As the huator…’" chimed a voice from above our heads

Phaedra

A harpy set the Alfar down on the roof of the studio She peered down at us, her face cal a point: Alfar didn’t need any backup

"We have your people, Phaedra And we knohat they’ve done," Ryu shouted He was losing control of his te," the little woman replied, "except for dead huotten that I, too, have your people" From behind us, both harpies prodded our friends out into the little clearing around the studio Caleb and Daoud were battered and bruised, but they were alive

"You are interfering with an official Court investigation, Phaedra, and your minions have corowled, not letting up his hold on the spriggan

"Interfering? How? My people have committed no crime," Phaedra purred "You attacked the the murder of these two unfortunate wowat lay, covered in blood that wasn’t their own Was she serious? They had to have killed those women They had to--

"You lie, Alfar," Ryu roared, and the shields around hiht My boyfriend did have some mad skills at his disposal

"Enough," Phaedra hissed as we heard a gasp behind us The harpies had raised a wickedly sharp, hooked claw to the throats of both Caleb and Daoud The harpy holding Daoud, either Kaori or Kaya, had already pierced deep into the djinn’s neck

"We are at an impasse We have your men; you have ours You believe one story… I think that the Court will believe another So I suggest we e for a race Whoever ets to tell their version of events And then we can let our king and our queen decide" Phaedra’s smile was cold, calculated, and confident She kneho Jarl would side with and that Orin and Morrigan would follow his lead, at least publicly

"Never," Ryu snarled, but his protestations were cut short by a strangled gasp from Daoud as the harpy’s claw slashed across the djinn’s throat I’d seen Daoud’s uncle, Wally, sea so similar with his own torn flesh But every tiain Blood was everywhere, and Daoud’s face grew unhealthily pale as the harpy who held hiain--

"You have a choice, Investigator Eventually your man will bleed out, and not even a djinn can recover from a true death Do we have a deal?"

Ryu’s shoulders were so tense with anger he was already quivering He glanced at Anyan, who, after a brief moment, nodded

"Fine," Ryu barked, his voice brittle with resento And ill see you back at Court--"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kaya (or Kaori) slashed once more across Daoud’s throat To our horror, her sister Kaori, or Kaya, did the sa shut the wound and beginning to heal hiround like a stone

Anyan turned with a shout to Caleb, letting up on the spriggan as he did so Fugwat, his brute face awash in anger, y, physical shields at the barghest’s back, feeling my power eaten up by the unfaan bounced back, to be grabbed by the incubus and dragged toward the harpies Phaedra’s gang hightailed it out of there, leaving us to attend to our wounded

Anyan was already healing Caleb, while Ryu worked on Daoud We all cooled our heels, waiting If Camille, Julian, or I ran after the Alfar, ere toast So atched as Anyan finished with Caleb, and then both men immediately turned their attention to Daoud For our part, we funneled power to the satyr so that his exhausted body could still pued wounds in his friend’s neck

After what felt like hours, but could have been only about twenty minutes, Caleb looked up