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"There’s no tihter More wedding guests were falling as the spirits whipped around the rooed

"They’ll die if I don’t stop the bau," Jaz said "I can channel the power of Sekhmet and force the for"

I hesitated Jaz had never tried such a large spell She was already weak froht seee that healers studied the path of Sekhues, and famine, it made sense that healers would learn how to control her forces--including bau

Besides, even if I freed the griffin, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure I could control it There was a decent chance it would get excited and gobble us up rather than the spirits

Outside, police sirens were getting louder We were running out of tiot no choice," Jaz insisted

She pulled her wand and then--ave Walt a kiss on the cheek "It’ll be okay, Walt Don’t give up"

Jaz took sourine--and pressed it into my sister’s free hand "You’ll need this soon, Sadie I’m sorry I can’t help you more You’ll knohat to do when the time comes"

I don’t think I’d ever seen Sadie at such a loss for words

Jaz ran to the center of the ballroo a circle of protection around her feet Frooddess, and held it aloft

She began to chant Red light glowed around her Tendrils of energy spread out fro the rooan to swirl, slowly at first, then picking up speed until thethe theht the spell Jaz staggered, but she kept chanting, her face beaded with sweat

"Can’t we help her?" Walt asked

"RAWWWWK!" the griffin cried, which probably meant, Helloooo! I’m still here!

The sirens sounded like they were right outside the building non the hall near the elevators, so the last wave of wedding guests to exit the building--like they needed encourageot arrested, this situation was going to be difficult to explain

"Sadie," I said, "get ready to dispel the rope on the griffin Walt, you still got your boat amulet?"

"My--? Yeah But there’s no water"

"Just suic twine I spoke a char I e necktie, and carefully approached the griffin

"I’ to put this around your neck," I said "Don’t freak"

"FREEEEK!" the griffin said

I stepped closer, conscious of how fast that beak could snap ed to loop the rope around the griffin’s neck

Then so tendrils of Jaz’s spell ishly, like the air had turned to syrup The screams and sirens faded to a distant roar

You won’t succeed, a voice hissed

I turned and found myself face-to-face with a bau

It hovered in the air a few inches away, its fiery white features al into focus It seemed to smile, and I could swear I’d seen its face before

Chaos is too powerful, boy, it said The world spins beyond your control Give up your quest!

"Shut up," I

You’ll never find her, the spirit taunted She sleeps in the Place of Red Sand, but she will die there if you follow your pointless quest

I felt like a tarantula was crawling downabout Zia Rashid--the real Zia, who I’d been searching for since Christmas

"No," I said "You’re a demon, a deceiver"

You know better, boy We’ve met before

"Shut up!" I sumain The red tendrils of Jaz’s spell wrapped around the bau and pulled it screa into the vortex

No one else seemed to have noticed what just happened

Sadie was playing defense, swatting at bau with her flaot close Walt set his boat around and spoke the command word In a matter of seconds, like one of those crazy expand-in-water sponge toys, the a across the ruins of the buffet table

With shaking hands, I took the two ends of the griffin’s new necktie and tied one end to the boat’s prow and one to the stern

"Carter, look!" Sadie called