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"If you don’t wish to assist o there ht smile disappeared beneath an ominous scowl in seconds "Don’t be stupid You know the fate you’ll suffer And if you’re not convinced it’s a terrible one, I’ll wake Anka so she can talk to you about the joys of Terriforz"

Sabelle shuddered at the reminder of Mathias’s mentally controlled rape Anka wasn’t the same witch she’d been before Mathias’s abduction and abuse The strong, sparkling fery, skittish witch who had left Lucan in favor of the wizard before her Anka hadn’t finished dealing with her experience, and Sabelle could only hope that her friend’s cohabitation with a wizard of Shock’s low caliber was somehow helpful and temporary

"Low caliber? Tsk-tsk," Shock hts

"That would help," he added "But the truth is, I’m not certain I can help you I refuse to send you to Mathias Alone, he would kill you like a pesky fly--quickly andthe information of Mathias’s whereabouts for the rest of the warriors … well, I don’t think he would appreciateaway the location of his new lair"

"Help , and if it would help Ice, she would plead all night long

"A Rion begging ht no one would believe"

"What do you want fro she could stare into his eyes and read his thoughts But as always, those blasted sunglasses ensured she saw nothing "Tell rant it if you will help Ice"

"You have nothing I want Not now" He cocked his head "The time may come, however Or maybe not Your threeto throw her out, and she was no closer to securing his agreeed "I see no reason for you to go near Mathias’s compound Or for you to return here So don’t"

With a mental shove, Shock forced her out the door and back into the nearly frozen December air On the surface, it seeer to help her … but with Shock, one never knew Would he assist Ice--or was she on her own?

Sabelle returned to Sterling’s estate, dejected She really had believed that Shock was doing his part to assist the Doomsday Brethren, even if he didn’t couys He’d even explained his frequent absences to Bra up appearances for Mathias’s sake But it seemed that, as soon as the warriors had shown Shock open doubt about his loyalties, his attitude had beco to block out the fact that Ice would likely die soon, she pushed open the door to the roo, the one beside hers Olivia sat next to hi chair, a phone pressed to her ear

"Thank God you’re back What happened?" olivia asked, her dark hair hugging her shoulders, violet eyes bright with concern

Nothing she wanted to discuss She simply shook her head and mumbled, "Dead end How is my brother?"

Sabelle could see for herself that Braed, and the truth pierced her heart Braray today than yesterday, and she wondered what, if anything, would cure him She performed a few quick spells to keep his body hydrated and functioning But there was nothing lance at Sydney on the phone, Sabelle turned back to olivia "Has she been able to locate the , Sydney rang off and put the phone doith a clatter of finality "I spoke with Aquarius Emma is, apparently, an old school chum of Aquarius’s You’ll recall she received the Doo it to me After uni, Emma ht very nervous Afraid She shoved what she called a ical diary into Aquarius’s hands and said she should hide it She see to do with the series of articles I’d been writing for Out of This Realm But Erated "How do I find the woht recover if we could locate E since the first time I called But it’s as if Emma has disappeared She used to work for a human who dealt in rare antiquities But her attempts to reach him have been unsuccessful She peeked into the store’s s and saw only clutter and chaos I wonder if Mathias found hi for the book?"

Yes, that was possible Even probable, since Mathias had been following the little ical book closely Could Emma be inside the shop? Possible, but if she was dead, Branature would reflect his loss, and so far, hints of Ereens and browns inside the bold slashes of Branature

The woman was alive so Aquarius has tried to call Emma directly?"

"Oh, a hundred times Number’s been disconnected"

Of course

Reality hit Sabelle square in the chest like a battering ram, and she caved into the pressure for a few precious moments Bram’s unstoppable journey to an untier--all because of Mathias She hated that wizard for what he’d done to her faed to save everyone who mattered to her, she would hunt him doith every bit of her deterhter the bastard

"It’s all right" olivia hooked an arm around her shoulder, and Sabelle realized only then that she’d begun crying

She brushed her tears aith iers "No ti"

"You need sleep It’s nearly ht"

There was no possible way she would sleep, knowing that Ice was enduring hell--if he was still alive

"I’m fine I need coffee and to talk to Duke Are they still belowstairs?"

Olivia looked like she wanted to argue, but nodded "I’ll stay here with your brother He was a good friend to me when I first h Sabelle had often cursed thee"

"I’ll keep trying to reach Emma Someone, somewhere, knohere this woman is"

Yes She just hoped that someone wasn’t Mathias