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"I just hope it works!" I mumbled

Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone I sy severely out of place, hidden in the long folds of his robes He dialed while we moved and shouted instructions to whomever was on the other end At least the rest of the team would kno to act now

We were inside the palace

We just needed to get to Avalon now, and then get out before the whole place went up in flames

Chapter Twenty-Four

I followed Gabriel as he turned again and again He seemed to know his way around the palace expertly I trusted his direction, his innate ability, but I knew that even without him I would have found Avalon There was not a part inside of me that was not conscience of his nearness

Titans were everywhere, around corners, at the end of hallways; they pursued us with every step I used ic as fast and as fiercely as I could Gabriel was a skilled warrior, his priestly robes flowed out froertips

"How quickly can you take soic?" he questioned loudly over his shoulder

"Pretty fast," I yelled back, throwing outa Titan by just an inch I hit theshrapnel soaring and debris littering the hallway I picked up the say and buried the Titan in a heavy heap of rubble It wouldn't keep hi, but it would buy us soet to Avalon, I have no doubt his cell will be Guarded by at least a dozen guards," he continued to yell over his shoulder, while dialing a number on his cell phone siic at once and immediately That would be our best chance for survival"

"Sure," I replied confidently, inwardly freaking the hell out A dozen Guards? At once? I?

"Eden, I'm serious!" he shouted back, "If you cannot do it, ill never leave that prison cell"

"I'll try," I promised back, and then amended my words, "I'll do my best"

"Then do it now!" he ordered and we rounded one last corner, finally entering the dungeon part of the palace

Fifteen Titan Guards stood, ready and waiting for us in front of a long, dark hallooden doors, evenly spaced, lining the right side of the corridor I skidded to a stop, a little off balance, wavingto stand tall Gabriel stepped behind ic to take over The Guards, however were not thrown off and iainst us or with objects against us I dodged out of the way, by diving back behind the wall, landing on Gabriel who had the sa to take theiraround us was incredibly noisy and I struggled to hear anything

"It's just not that easy!" I defendeddebris

"Make it that easy!" He shook e eyes flashing with unhurried intensity

I leaned ainst as left of the destroyed wall and concentrated I had to pull their ics But I didn't have to be facing the around the rooan to draw it to , so I continued feeling out the rest of the roo forthe room sufficiently, I stood up and nodded to Gabriel We walked around the corner this ti to hold on to their power All fifteen of the , they knew the fate that awaited them and that whatever whispered rumors they heard were true

I wanted to have compassion on them, to find the bits of humanity that still resided in my soul and remember mercy, but my eyes flickered to the first, locked door behind the weakening Guards and I rely torture my brother and turn their heads fro the last re the men unconscious with one collective blow I tried to stand up straighter, to revel in ics at once turned into the opposite of strength I was suddenly weak, and frail My body buzzed with the frantic energy of the newly acquired ic All of a sudden, I felt as I did before I kneas y I was too inundated with electricity to function I needed release,and hoped Avalon's prison cell would be rooy

I stumbled backwards, and Gabriel was there to catchfor a response

"I' a powerful burst ofhallway The back wall exploded into aa hole into an atriuether enough that I wasn't afraid of hurting Avalon