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At lastthere was nothing but the s Victoria looked over and saw that Max was goneand so was Lilith She cried out and started toward the door, the only way they could have gone, but Sebastian pulled her back She stu over his chest, and saw that he was pointing her toward the other side of the pit

Max was there, freshly bloody, his hands still chained He knelt next to Sara, bending close to her

He turned away and looked at Victoria, then pulled to his feet Her stomach rebelled for a one froonized bundle, curled her fingers around it She ainst the other

And then she slu to the stones beneath her

Max carried Sara’s body over his shoulder, perhaps, Victoria thought, as a last tribute to a woman he’d cared forat least to soone," said Bri," said Victoria Nor did she get Max

They left in silence, necks warh the throne room where the chair was tipped over from the Venators’ entranceand out into the empty antechamber

Victoria was last, and it happened when they alking down the narrow rareat relief, that she could see nothing in the darkness without the torches Brim and Michalas carried The rush of water echoed around theh the air, rushing down from above her

It crashed onto her, so war off the ay, downdown to where the water splashed below

Twenty-eight

A Battle Is Lost

Sebastian heard the noise behind hiure land on Victoria, falling with her down into darkness

"Victoria!" he cried, and jumped after them

The fall wasn’t as deep as he’d expectedyet far enough to be fatal if rocks were hidden there

He heard the other splash asps for air, but he couldn’t see anything She was already weak, dammit, and she’d been taken by surpriseif she’d hit her head on anything, or crashed onto the rocks that he kicked against

He couldn’t see, but heardhe could hear, and he fought his way through the rush of water to the sounds of struggle, unsure who or what he i toward because it was so dark

Where were the others? There’d been no other shouts, no other splashes Did they even know he and Victoria had fallen? The others had been quite a bit ahead of the in the water, at last he found hair, strands of hair, and froht, saw Victoria’s white face, eyes closed She wasn’tdark on her face, dark and sticky Oh God

"Max!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the darkness "Briainst hi--was it Pesaro? Bri hands pushed hi sharp scoring his ared into the water

Above he heard the faint echo of a responding shout, and ht and struggled in the rank pool He eaponless against thisrenewed pain froht fronized hie sliced through hie and hatred for the man ould take her frorappling in the water, protecting her frorip, from the slippery hold, and disappeared

Sebastian cried another warning aloud, choking in anear the edge of the pool Pesaro, and Bri hi Sebastian released hi toward the faint white he saw in the distance At last there was another splash behind him He heard Michalas call out and could barely respond

At last his hand touched soainand then hair He pulled, felt her co He pulled, keeping her face fro her to the side, onto the bank where Pesaro and Briht danced behind him as he turned her onto her stomach, her face to the side Blood everywhere, her face bruised and cut, her hair a mat of curls, her body cold and white "No, Victoria, dammit," he breathed

He felt the others co torches He kissed her cold face, brushed the hair fro hi yet again