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"The Mage can do fucking anything they want these days," Jag gru "They didn’t enthrall you"

Foxx scowled "What are you saying?"

"I’ Zaphene’s control over you may have extended beyond e realized"

"I’m their puppet, now?"

"I don’t know, Cub" Paenther and Jag exchanged a look of foreboding If they could no longer trust Foxx, they were in deep shit

Chapter Twenty-three

Paenther wasn’t sure how rinning the old Vhyper grin, his bald head glea But no warmth lurked in his eyes

No humanity

"Looks like old home week Nice of you to join us, BP I told Birik to set a place at the ritual table for you, so to speak I knew all he had to do was let you knoe’d all be losing our heads tonight, and you’d co to the rescue Do I knowsnarled

"He’s not Vhyper," Paenther said evenly "Vhyper is as trapped by the evil as we are"

Vhyper snorted "You wish I’ed" He lifted one ironic brow "In a good way, of course"

"You’re wrong The iveto let us die"

"Right" The as dry, Vhyper’s eyes hard "Even if you were correct, and I could be saved, it wouldn’t be enough to get you out of here I’lanced at the cub "We’re aware Birik can control Foxx"

"Oh, he’s doing a lothim, BP"

Foxx made a sound of disbelief "What do you mean by that?"

"That’s the beauty of it, Cub" Vhyper tugged on his earring "Even you don’t knohat you’ve become Which is what made you such a powerful weapon"

Paenther’s blood turned cold

"What have I become?"

"Zaphene’s pawn that Birik claimed once she was dead Zaphene carved out your soul but left your conscience and personality in place so none of us knew Not even you Your youth combined with your intuitive talent made you especially malleable You killed Beatrice, then switched the Daeoddess stone e called the power of the lion I lost ht thanks to that blade

"When I found the Mage and turned over the blade to Birik, I told hi foryou and your intuition Of course, it wasn’t really your intuition that led you here All the ti on Birik’s coe and to stop at the Market, where Skye aiting to choose a Feral"

Paenther’s head was beginning to pound Meeting Skye was no coincidence It had never been an accident Foxx had delivered hirunted "You’re starting to sound like so" Paenther groaned If he ever got out of here, he’d string that cat up by his tail

Vhyper glanced at Jag with a saze swung to Paenther, so moved deep in his eyes His friend The real Vhyper was the one spilling the plan Hoping Paenther could use the inforht BP?" Foxx’s voice rose with hisdisbelief

"Of course not They called you into the caverns, fucked with your mind to make sure you were firmly under Birik’s control, then stole your memories of the mountain and sent you away so the Ferals wouldn’t find us" Vhyper grunted "Birik rit of his little enchantress and BP’s determination to escape Once they left, he sent h the shackles, but when that didn’t happen, he called you"

"To Jefferson Street," Jag ed "The rest fell into place as I predicted, with BP riding to the rescue and Skye his only way back in here" His look turned sht, we just ht free Satanan"

"Zaphene didn’t steal my soul," Foxx wailed "She didn’t!"

"Fraid she did, Cub Look on the bright side Birik’s sacrificing you tonight just saves the Ferals fro to destroy one of their own"

Foxx had turned pale, his freckles stark against his skin "I’m ruined," he whispered

Vhyper chuckled "Birik plans to strip away your conscience before the ritual tonight just in case anything unforeseen happens You’ll be firht? You’ll be dead" He shrugged "We all will"

"Vhype" Paenther nailed Vhyper with his gaze "We’ll get out of this, Vhyper Together Don’t ever doubt it"

He saw it again That flicker of awareness, of humanity behind those cold eyes, and the ain as they’d lain trapped in Ancreta’s dungeon all those years ago His friend had heard him

Vhyper frowned, then turned toward the door "Enjoy your fantasy, BP I have a feast to indulge in before our big night"

With Vhyper’s departure, the sest Feral, a deep regret encasing his heart "Don’t despair, Cub The evil controlling Vhyper is a liar We can’t trust anything he says" But, if he was right, if the real Vhyper had been behind the gut spill, he’d been telling the truth

Foxx looked up, his eyes at once furious and terrified "She didn’t take runted "Doesn’t reallyyou" He eyed Paenther ruefully "I hope to hell you still have a plan"

Paenther sighed "So do I"

Skye’s sto with unshed tears, her skin crawling with fear as she led Faithful and the other three deer down to the Hall of Feasts as Birik had ordered Behind her, the two sentinels followed All four deer pressed against her, feeling her fear, but it was Faithful she clutched the tightest