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"I don’t have tiames Can you do it or not?"

"In theory, it can be done Assun, of course And there are a lot of stars that need to align for it to work But the real question is, why should I?" She throws back the curtains, shocking ain with the panoramic view of the destroyed city "After all this time, is there any chance you haven’t been lured to the other side? Why should I help the fallen?"

Raffe walks to the counter where his sword lies He slides the blade out fro, which is quite a feat considering the sharpness of the double edge He flips it in the air and catches it by the handle He slaps the blade back into its sheath while watching Laylah expectantly

Josiah nods "Okay His sword hasn’t rejected him"

"Doesn’tto loyalty longer than they should Doesn’tit’s supposed to mean," says Raffe

"We’re not made to be alone," says Laylah "No el can endure such solitude for long, even you"

"My sword hasn’t rejected me End of discussion"

Josiah clears his throat "About those wings?"

Laylah glares at Raffe "I don’t have kind otten After all this ti de your human toy inthe alar everybody know you had the nerve to come back?"

"Laylah," says Josiah nervously "They’d knoas me who helped him"

"I’d keep you out of it, Josiah," says Laylah "Well, Raffe? No arguments? No pleas? No flattery?"

"What do you want?" asks Raffe "Nae of a situation, so used to his pride and control that it’s hard for me to see him like this Tense, and under the power of so like a scorned lover Who says celestial beings can’t be petty?

Her eyes slide to me as if she wants to say her price is to haveher options

Someone knocks on the door

Laylah’s eyes widen in alarm Josiah looks like he’s just been condemned to hell

"It’s just my dinner," says Raffe He opens the door before anyone can scra professional and detached even though he can’t lance He’s still in his butler’s outfit with the coattails and white gloves Beside hi a silver-domed tray and silverware laid out on a folded napkin The rooetables

"Where would you like this, sir?" asks Dee-Dument about Raffe’s near nakedness

"I’ll take it" Raffe takes the tray He also shows no sign of recognition Maybe Raffe never noticed the twins at the camp There’s no doubt that the twins noticed Raffe

As the door closes, Dee-Du the scene in the room I’m sure he has every detail, every face memorized

Raffe never turns his back to hiht still think hih I wonder if he saw Raffe at the club with his wings displayed through his jacket slits Either way, Obi’s people can’t be happy that two escaped "guests" of their caels at the aerie I wonder if Raffe were to jerk the door open right noould we find Dee-Dum with his ear to the door?

Laylah relaxes a little and seats herself on a leather chair, like a queen taking her throne "You appear uninvited, eat our food, make yourself at home in our place like a rat, and you have the nerve to ask for help?"

I s is as i her lounge in front of a panoramic view of the charred city is too much for me

"It’s not your food, and it’s not your place" I practically spit out the words

"Penryn," says Raffe in a warning voice as he puts the tray down on the bar

"And don’t insult our rats" My hands clench tight enough to score nail ht to be here Unlike you"

The tension is so thick I wonder if it’ll set his wings back The Aryan looks like she’s ready to breakvoice "Let’s just take a time-out here and focus on what’s important" Of all of them, he looks the most evil with his blood-red eyes and unnaturally white everything else But looks aren’t everything "Raffe needs his wings back Now all we need to do is figure out what Beautiful Laylah can get out of this, and we’ll all be happy That’s all that ht?"

He looks at each of us I want to say I won’t be happy, but I’ve said enough

"Great, so Laylah," says Josiah "What can we do to make you happy?"

Laylah’s lashes sweep down coyly over her eyes "I’ll think of so" I have no doubt that she already knows her price Why be coy about it? "Co to prepare I’ll need the wings now"

Raffe hesitates like a n a deal with the devil Then he walks back into the bedroo me to be stared at by Laylah and Josiah

The hell with it I follow after Raffe I find his in towels

"I don’t trust her," I say

"They can hear you"

"I don’t care" I lean against the doorjamb

"Got a better idea?"

"What if she just takes your wings?"