Page 5 (1/2)

She'd channeled freaking Pele to et my invitation, and then I'll claim my spot" One of twenty-two players, headed to Madrid

"Well, I like your confidence, at least" Dad's phone buzzed "You'd think they could e without me for one day" Yeah, one would think He checked the ID, declined the call His phone inored it "Look, I know so on with you Before I leave, I need you to tell me what it is We don't keep secrets from each other"

Don't we, Commander?

When he took his pistol fro job was ever dangerous

Wait-one thing would explain thatrealization, she breathed, "You're a spy" He'd been using code words! Lykae would

"Why would you think this?" he asked, sounding a he was a spy! "Your hours, your travel, your evasiveness about your job I don't really knohat you do And you alear a gun"

"No, Chlo I a about this? Is that what affected your play?"

"I heard a conversation of yours It"And as this?"

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but II heard you on the phone During the game I don't kno, but I did"

Instead of pointing out how ridiculous this was, he adjusted the fra atop his desk with precise movements She didn't knohy he kept that photo of her mother there Whenever he looked at it, his lips would thin with anger Chloe figured some part of him must irrationally feel like Fiore had abandoned him "And what did you hear?" he said

"You were talking to souy, and the topic of discussion was a olf He called you 'Commander' "

Dad narrowed his eyes He would now tell her that she was crazy, having iined all that Chlo, you've done one tooelse happened physically?"

She reluctantly nodded, having no intention of telling hies

"I've noticed you haven't been eating as much"

"My appetite's totally off Have to force ht, but I'm never tired"

"I s-see" With a dazed look on his face, he stood and crossed to his wall safe, placing his thuo out of town for a week, perhaps two, to service soed book froone, I want you to read this Once you've finished it, we'll speak again"

When she'd gotten her period at thirteen, he'd given her a copy of The Care and Keeping of You He'd been red-faced, gruffly saying, "Here I'ether"

So what kind of life transition was she undergoing now? Instead of being red-faced, he was pale

He handed the tome to her; a chill took her, and the tiny hairs on her nape stood up The Living Book of Lore?

"What is this?" A slip of paper jutted froes were filled with archaic text, but the paperon it:

The Order will stop the abo humans, the detrus-those immortal creatures of darkness filled with untold malice toward mankind Detrus are a perversion of the natural order, spreading their deathless nuue upon h any means necessary

Capture them, study them, exterminate them

"Dad, I-I don't understand Are you part of this Order? Do you believe creatures of darkness exist?" Like olves? Had one of them h the book, spying countless entries, all bogeynized, ain, Dad collected his bag, still see dazed Ex-mil and old-school, her father was usually a master of self-control He of the stiff upper lip Dad siht now, he looked like he'd been coldcocked

"For twenty-four years, I've debated with myself whether or not you would ever see this book You're such a toht ere home free" He placed his palm on her head But when she looked up, he wouldn't meet her eyes "Each blood test that ca, Ibelieved"

"My blood was tested for cancer That's what you told me!"

As if he couldn't hear her, he said, "Just know that you're hter No matter what you are-I'll always love and protect you" Then he turned toward the door

"Wait! You can't leave like this!" Book in hand, she hobbled after hi to me? Am I adetrus?"

"I'ht" His voice was shaky She'd never heard hi it "I won't be until I return"

"If you think I'm a detrus, then what does that h they had too much in common for him not to be

Over his shoulder, he said, "You know I am, Chlo"

Her eyes ide "Then you think Mos?"

Had his step faltered slightly? "There won't beevent Just hold tight Stick to your normal routine I'll be back soon" He opened the front door A tinted- sedan awaited him in the drive "If for soo to the authorities"

"What is this?" she cried "What's happening?"

"It's secret And you rabbed his arm "Dad, I'ether "Are you scared?"

With all his wilderness survival trips, shooting lessons, and self-defense caer players for almost two decades had nearly stamped it out In fact, she had only one fear, an irrational one: dating "No I just need to know, but I'm not scared"

"After you read that book, I'll expect you to be"

He was truly going to leave her like this, leave her in turaze, staring at her like he was ht ere home free"

Chapter Four

Glenrial, the Lykae compound outside of New Orleans

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER

Will was asleep, kneas, but he dreaed The sounds of screams in the Order's prison, the scent of death, the bloodcurdling sight of five starving succubae stalking hih wards filled with fire and dismembered corpses

He wore a th and speed to those of a mere mortal, and he was still weak from Dixon's experiments, but the succubae were desperate to feed

If they caught him, he wouldn't be able to defend hi corridors, he tore at the collar, even knowing it was indestructible

He prayed for his Instinct to guide hione fro one's Instinct was like losing one's soul