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It was Ray’s blood

There was no e of a shallow boulder and closed my eyes He was behind it His scent was all over the place I didn’t really want to see He was human, and therefore his weakness had always been a liability This was the probable outco in--not that he would be eaten by a va this were slim to none I had no idea how he’d found his way in with Tyler and Danny I’d have to ask theuess was that Naomi must have inadvertently dropped him by a backdoor entrance and they had met up in the maze of tunnels This mountain clearly had many

If he’d stayed on top of the ht now, coet back But, in the end, he’d done his best to help me "Ray, can you hear me?" I called There was no answer Of course

I stepped slowly around the boulder

His broken body lay on the ground His neck had been ripped open in several places, savaged and mutilated Even his hands were bloody and torn He’d tried to fight Eamon’s persuasion, a vampire’s automatic defense, must not have worked I didn’t doubt it, because Eaoddess who had tortured hi

But Persuasion had never worked on Ray as long as he’d lived, and if Earinned in spite of the situation, enjoying the fact that it ht for his life

I drew closer and knelt "Oh, Ray," I said on a small breath as I crouched down by his side "I’m so sorry it had to end like this If you can believe it, I was actually beginning to like you" I placed my hands carefully on his broken body and cocked led beat "What are you doing, Ray? Trying to survive at all odds?" I sive you that" I lowered my head to his sternu seconds I liftedto clear the ball inon as hard as you can, I can’t help you" I forced ed beyond repair, the wounds deep and deadly "You’re hue can’t be fixed even by the most skilled doctor in the world, even one of our own There is nothing I can do I’m so sorry I really am"

"I can fix it," a voice said behind me "If you’ll allow it, Ma Reine"

28

"What the--" Tyler slammed on the brakes The ridiculous canary-yellow Hu, tires jacked halfway up the curb, rocking us all on our seats

It was three a was ablaze

My head shot off Rourke’s lap, his growl of displeasure reverberating around the truck I squinted out the , rubbingon? Did anyone call us?"

We’d left Selene’s lair, tired and bedraggled, without Naomi or Ray I had no idea if Ray would survive the transfor hteen hours straight, stopping only for gas and a shower at a local YMCA at my insistence

"My phone is dead," Danny said "I didn’t rehter while Tyler evened out the beast I reached for my cell phone in my backpack I’d spoken briefly with ed from the mountain, and told hies and nobody’s called since I talked to Dad"

"This looks like it happened recently," Tyler said as he shut off the engine "Likely no one knohat’s happening yet It’s theto look around Stay here" I was tired enough to let hiure it out

"There are no other visual disturbances," Danny said, scanning the building "Does Nick usually work this late?"

"No," I said "Soht is on In the entire building To do that, so Or they spelled the entire thing Looks like they were trying to find so?