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"We need to find the reason for their war," Gavril brought ion,of that nature," I leaned my cheek on Gavril’s shoulder

"I should have known I’d find you two together" Lissa walked into Gavril’s bedroom His room had turned into our favorite place to study My stomach felt queasy, suddenly--this is how I’d learned the last time that the Vice-Director wanted to see me "Reah, Vice-Director Schaff wants to talk to you inthere?" This tis had happened since then

I didn’t need assistance, as o with me I shivered at the th was returning and my shoulder wound was much better Lendill couldn’t hurtme that the scar from the ranos pistol wound would disappear co marks would be with me forever

"Re, don’t worry," Gavril whispered as I slid off his bed Whilesports teams or reen withpillows He’d picked it out hiave hi past Lissa and out Gavril’s door

"Reah, we’ll be sending you to Pheslik--drakus seed is showing up there," Vice-Director Schaff got right to business He had such a handsome face and it covered the demeanor and cruelty of a viper I did ive myself ahen all I wanted to do eep I also wanted to ask hi about ht know if the wizards froeons I hoped so--I wanted to see them Alone I had my doubts, somehow, that Bel was in this as deeply as Director Keef seemed to think I worried about Bel and the others--were they being mistreated? Vice-Director Schaff had certainly done his best to mistreat me I’d never had a seizure inhis worst

"You’ll be going out again with Rylend and Torevik, but under an assumed name this ti when the healer releases you" That was ave the best respectful dip oflike rubber

"How did it go?" Norian Keef walked in only ain," Lendill sighed

Aurelius was leaping fro vale, but he couldn’t take all of the away from them, either--that could attract the attention of a hidden Ra’Ak He also couldn’t fold away from the planet--a Ra’Ak could track him by the use of that pohich in turn would place others in ilad these spaere easily confused--they were young, having been taken froured they were less than a hed away their human appearance A concentrated effort had been made to take over this portion of the planet; Biriy was in its infancy but it was there, in the highly populated areas in the north In the southern jungles, the native population was less educated andtheir huodlike, with the speed and agility that any Ra’Ak spawn gained when turned Aurelius had already sentfor help It was scheduled to co didn’t feel right on the way back to Gavril’s roo to Vice-Director Schaff This rong, so As in, soot worse as I walked along until it hadlike this before, unless it had been--well--on Mandil I had to think back; it see at all People I cared for had been in danger, and then, "Aurelius!" I was shouting his na happened that I never expected to happen Not without help or instruction

Aurelius was backed against the bare cliff face--he realized that the spawn had only been herding hih the trees when he reached that spot More had been waiting there and he was cut off Piles of spawn dust littered the rock and shale around the cliff, but there were toofor Aurelius to turn his back on the at the top, he realized; he was too afraid to use the ability he had to Look and find out

Six spawn attacked at once, forcing Aurelius to use his speed and vampire claws to behead the, he knew While that hten any normal humanoid, it had no effect on spawn If they were instructed to attack, then they would attack, with no fear for their lives Aurelius knew so these--they never acted in concert like this without so out of the jungle, stalking hiht have been able to take down fifty or so alone, but there were more than that Many more Aurelius prepared hi his nah a rainforest, even as I swept spawn aside withthe and dusting if they came in contact with any part of me There had to be hundreds of theht as Thifilatha, I could see Aurelius backed against a rocky cliff, fighting them off as best he could

If Gavril hadn’t described what vahtened Aurelius’ fangs were showing, as were his lengthy claws His eyes were red, too--Gavril explained that it happened whenever a va with both those things

"I’ Aurelius’ endear out ht to attack --I think he was regaining hope that he ht live over this I was nearly there, too, when the spawn that had been waiting at the top of the cliff leapt over the edge, dropping down upon Aurelius