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"Which way do we go?" I asked

"Right, I think" Grievethrough rock and root, the scent of deep earth and , but instinct told me this was the way The farther we traveled, the thicker the air becaic was steadily growing I aliant mushrooms and monster crabs like out of some old movie, but neither appeared

Grieve looked at me and reached out his hand I took it as we approached a narrowing of the path The roots here were huge, so big I could only ied to They truly were the rib bones of the world, running through the earth

As we ca into what looked like a cave within the cavern, where only one person could walk at a time, Grieve pulled me close and wrapped his ar kiss, then stepped in front of

"Wait till I call you" He glanced back once, then was gone

As I stood there, a hto hear his voice

A screaed into the opening, followed by the others, and out into a lush inner sanctulow that emanated from the walls rippled a small pool, and on the pool, silver water lilies floated Sparkling lights filled the air, clouding e perfume I reeled and went down on my knees as the heady scent overwhelmed me Rhia and Kaylin were down for the count, too But Chatter stood tall, his gaze darting around the chae of the pond, lay a lithe, nude woman She looked ethereal, lovely, and yet feral, but she also looked very dead Her throat had been ripped open, and blood poured down her neck To her left, stood Grieve, looking distant and aloof Blood coated his lips

My stoed ical force field, I leaned on his shoulder as he half-carried, half-led me over to Grieve’s side

Grieve looked up as we approached, gri his fingers Letting out a little snarl, he threw hi water on his face

"Grieve…" Chatter’s voice was hesitant Grieve looked like he was in so was so co I couldn’t resist her And when I drew close, she began to change"

Chatter crouched down beside the dead wo dark hair to the side His fingers brushed her skin lightly and exaernails, then stood "Iron nails She’s one of the Black Annis One of the Wilding Fae, like the snow hag Dangerous and deadly, with a taste for flesh If you hadn’t killed her, she would have killed you Most likely one of the guardians Lainule stationed here But as she guarding?"

Grieve winced "I tore her throat open She was so beautiful, and her voice so tender, and then she began to shift and I acted on instinct I ripped her throat out and would have gorged on her blood if I hadn’t ed to force myself away from her But when she died, the spell broke and I was able to stuuish in his voice echoed in the cha any of us could do tothe Fae So I decided the best bet was to let it be

I glanced around, but ere alone "She had to be guarding so, so as it? Surely not the heartstone--she couldn’t be the only guardian they’d set over it So as she protecting?" The hter the energy was getting I was alhtfully "Makes sense to me" He patted Grieve on the arm "Come on, let’s have a look around and see e can find"

Grieve slowly stood, his face and fingers wet but clean He rested his gaze on ave hio near The Indigo Court side of hiain He seeled to their feet The weight of the energy was still heavy, but ere all able to stand now I sucked in a deep breath The perfuan to poke around, Grieve stared into the pool, his gaze fixated on so is in the pool" He li in the center of the shalloater It appeared to beto get it out and rean to stride into the water

"No!"

He stopped and turned back toin the water that we can’t see" I was getting paranoid of every ht, but there’s no other way to find out what she was guarding and I think ill need whatever it is" He turned back to the water and, focusing, steadied himself as he walked farther into the pond When the level of the pool reached up to his chest, he sucked in a deep breath and dove beneath the water I stiffened, waiting for so happened

As Grieve broke through the glassy surface again, he held up a small brass box It was intricately en, and was about the size of a box of checks, with a hinged lid While there was no lock, it seehtly closed

Grieve stared at it for a moment, then handed it toat him, but he didn’t explain As I slowly touched the lid, a treht usted by and Ulean was atPandora’s box, aerous path and an even darker journey But go on it you iven her consent, and therefore, wherever it leads, I will surely go with you Open this box and there is no turning back Open this box and you have sealed your fate

Do you knohat lies within?

Yes, I do I was here when it was first placed in the waters, a thousand past a thousand years ago and beyond I was here when the Black Annis was charged to watch the pool Very few could have killed her, but she was not a o Court

Was she the reason Grieve had to come with us? It suddenly occurred to me that Grieve was here for more reasons than the fact that he’d been part of Lainule’s realuardians, we needed someone from the outside Because even Chatter was noFae

There are many reasons Grieve is here This is the ascent to a culmination of events set in motion far in the past, the day you firstbefore that In times neither of you yet remember, destiny had a hand in the o Court through you You can walk through the fire, Cicely Or you can put the box back in the water, turn, and go But your choice--regardless of what it is--will alter the destiny of both real force

I stared at the box,for me For a thousand years and more, it had waited for lanced up at Grieve We could run away together The thought struckbolt and disappeared just as quickly There was no place to run If we let Myst win, she would spread out, her Shadow Hunters growing, breeding, feeding, and eventually a good share of the world would be once again encased in ice--only this time it would be ice formed of the frozen blood of her victims

I shook e, regardless of what it means for my future