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"One could conte a Bible in charavely "It would not surprise me, as the monks and undead have intertwined--usually at odds--for centuries"

The Bible’s pages had been bound, and rebound, andfamily tree as the decades passed Victoria carefully turned the crisp brown sheets They crackled like a gentle fire She saw i script on others, line after line Ornate lettering, patterns, and illustrations in faded colors decorated the first letters of each book of the Bible

Turning back to the front, she resu the list of Venator nae of a vivid redhead with a flashy e and a saucy expression came to mind, and Victoria nodded to herself Yes, she’d seen her portrait in the hall at the Consilium in Rome

Another name, faded and further up the list, drew her attention Rosaes of prophecy during her youth in an abbeybefore she learned of her calling as a Venator

A thought struck her, and she turned back to the end of the list "Sebastian’s na up at Max

"Nor is mine" He sipped, sed "That list in the front is confined to those who have descended directly fro Gardella blood--such as yourself"

An odd expression crossed his face and he stopped, blinking hard Victoria tensed But then he continued, "I believe the back of the book shows a full family tree, and also every Venator from the extended branches of the family tree--and those of us who can’t claim one drop of Gardella blood You’ll find Zavier there, I suspect, and Brim, and Michalas as well Or so I’ve been told"

"I see" A little shiver worked its way over the back of her shoulders It wouldn’t be long now "If I had looked more closely at the book early on, I would have known the truth about Sebastian much sooner, since you and Aunt Eustacia chose not to tellyou" Max shifted in his seat "And Vioget should have been struck froo He had no cause to be there"

Knowing that this could be the last conversation she and Max ever had, Victoria closed the book and looked at him "Why do you hate him so?"

"You ask because you knohy he loathes mebut you can’t help but wonder what possible reason I could have for enmity toward him I know he’s made his case to you"

"There is no case to be made, Max I understand why hedislikesyou, and holds you responsible for Giulia’s death--even though it was by his own hand But I also know that you’ve forgiven yourself for the horribleher to the Tutela to hurt her Only because you thought to help her, and that you’ve done everything you can to atone for it But I do want to knohat it is about hiusted"

He looked at her, and she saw the signs lingering in his gaze "Vioget has the calling--the blood, the innate skills, to be a Venator--and yet he rejected it For years I can’t forgive him for that Nor can I understand it"

"At first, I couldn’t either But I’ve co that I’ a creature who--noand loved, to his eternal daive me pause sometimes"

"Yet you still do it," Max said quietly His words were fired to protect our own race Do you think it hasn’t occurred to me that not only did I cause Giulia to turn into an iave her a sentence of eternal dae every day"

Victoria looked at hi why he wore such a cold, harsh persona; why he seemed so brittle and emotionless most of the time That made what she was about to do all the h forfor hi that he’d not be sent to eternal Hell because he’d not yet fed on awords he’d said himself, "you’ve never wavered fro the sentence you--we--thrust upon them"

"No For what choice do we have? If we don’t slay them, strive to put an end to theer and faster than we are, i need to survive--is to take fro, if all--or even et did, it wouldn’t be long before the undead would take over We have no choice As Venators--you especially, as a Gardella--it’s our calling Our duty and responsibility But it’s not our role to ments about whether the undead should live or die Or whether there truly is no chance that an undead’s soul ed, lines deep in his face "It’s a hope I live with every day, that perhaps" He shook his head as if to clear it "It’s not for us to question our calling" He looked at Victoria His eyes were bleary "If Phillip had drunk from a mortal before you had the chance to slay hi hi? Countless ti fro, with her fingers curled around an invisible stake She knew the answer

"Yes"