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Jack was staggered; Max took a threatening step forward but Jack jerked hireed to that I would never allow such a thing!" Jack shouted

"She knew that, it’s why she came to me"

Jack felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach A low curse escaped hihter will not be sacrificed in this!" David snapped

"Your daughter has already been sacrificed for the greater good You have already agreed that she wouldn’t want us doing anything reckless, that winning this war is far more important than any one life"

"She has not been sacrificed!"

"Caleb has her in his possession She may be alive, but you must face the fact that she will not come out of there the same Caleb is not Braith; he will not be kind, especially if he has any idea how much Braith may care for her"

"Jesus Gideon," Jack muttered He wished the vampire had one ounce of tact and decorum in him Gideon didn’t understand the close bonds between these people, much as Jack hadn’t when he’d arrived to spy on theh Braith and David had backed off, for now, they wouldn’t stay that way if they were pushed

David was as white as a ghost, William and Daniel remained quiet, but their faces had beco enough to realize that her life isn’t worth the lives of so h also If Braith ever found out about our agree to accept that, and I still aroaned; he was teue frooing to fall over, and then he rounded on his sons "You knehat she intended!" he exploded

"Not this lared at Gideon "But we knew she proposed to leave after the war I was going to go with her"

"And you? Were you going to leave also?" David demanded of his eldest

Daniel shook his head "No, I intended to stay"

"This was the only option dad," Willia her die is an option?"

"We didn’t know about that part" Williaain "But I suspected Ariathis drastic if it became necessary to sever her bond with Braith"

"The needs of h the needs of one, or two"

"For God’s sake Gideon, shut up!" Jack yelled at hilower at Gideon

"And Braith, what of him?" Max inquired

"He can’t know about this, any of this" Ashby moved from the shadows He face was hollow, and ashen, but his shoulders were set in determination "I know better than any of you what the two of theh, but Braith cannot know about this plan He’ll destroy us all, he’ll storet them both killed in the process"

"You know that I disapprove of this whole situationto happen to him when this is over? What will happen to him if Aria dies? In case you haven’t noticed he’s a little unstable right now, and she’s still alive," Max retorted

"And in case you didn’t notice he still chose the right path Braith has been raised since birth to be a leader, he’ll be unsteady in the beginning, but reason and centuries of preparation will eventually win out" Max’s lips coaze turned to the woods as Gideon continued to speak "Especially if there’s no way for hihter!" David exploded

"Are you telling er person than you are?"

David’s hands fisted as he began to shake "Gideon stop talking!" Jack snapped He stepped forward to block David if he flew off the handle and atte to let that happen, David" He shot a pointed look at Gideon "I never agreed to Aria dying I will take her; I will keep her safe…"

"I thought he could track her anywhere if his blood was inside her," Max interrupted

"We’re hoping that diluting his blood with that of another vampire, probably the three of us in order to confuse Braith further, will help with that"

"And if it doesn’t?"

"Don’t!" Jack thrust a finger at Gideon when he opened his lowered at hie e co to keep her alive"

"I will keep her safe," Jack vowed "I swear it She’s i his head, "So her life is sacrificed no reed "At all This was not an easy decision and it was not made carelessly"

Max stared blankly at hi to Gideon "I don’t trust you"