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"It’s like a salt lick," Bracken said He jerked a thuuy chews it up"

"You can find fracture points if you probe for weaknesses," Maddox said

"What about the hairy paste?" Seth asked

"I’ht be veins"

"Laugh it up," Maddox gru both arms at theiven the chance You can’t be sure when you’ll see your next meal"

"I knohen I will see it and what it will be," Bracken challenged "I’ve been here a long time Twice a day, like clockwork, we’re served a cohed and gagged at the sa," Bracken said, crouching and covering the light froh which he had entered, and Seth did the same

"It’s not h the barred peephole shifted as footsteps approached A torch swept past the s, and the heavy footsteps continued along the corridor

Bracken remained tense and quiet until the footfalls passed out of hearing "They almost never come into the cells," Bracken said "But with my luck, I try to be ready for exceptions"

"Say, Seth," Maddox began aardly, "I know I shouldn’t press you, but have you had any non-secretive word froan?"

Seth’s face fell Maddox didn’t know about his brother

"Uh-oh," Maddox said "Bad news?"

"The worst news," Seth said

Maddox’s ht Did he go bravely?"

Seth nodded vigorously "It was at Wyran helped to save Kendra and the on?" Despite his grief, he was already thinking about vengeance

"Navarog But then Navarog got killed while in hu at Maddox, he ed to restrain his obvious excitement

Maddox plopped down on his creaky cot He see like this was bound to happen"

Seth thought about Vincent He worried about Kendra and his grandparents Spending tiht be safer than what they would face in the co days and weeks He had to find a way to help the out of here?" Seth asked

"Bleak," Bracken replied "I’ve been trying for hundreds of years"

"Hundreds of years?" Seth exclaiet used to the food," Bracken lamented

"We can move around down here," Maddox said, "but we’ve found no way to the upper levels, nothing close to a way out"

"I’ve searched long and hard," Bracken assured theuard?" Seth asked

"Even though our doors rarely open, I’ve tried a few times," Bracken said "There are too many checkpoints on the way up, too many locked doors And once the alarm sounds, the Sphinx musters too many powerful servants"

"What if we roup effort?"

Bracken shrugged "That probably has the most potential It has been decades since I’ve orchestrated a big, riot-style breakout Both of my prior attempts ended badly The way up just has too ically reinforced iron door locked until we surrendered due to starvation Another tiine, our captors are not kind to us after such attelow and read people," Seth said "Do you have other ic that could help?"

"Not much," Bracken said "I could help run co My powers are relatively weak What about you, shadow charht have more useful skills than e locks?"

"I can shade walk," Seth said "Some shadow charmers can open locks?"

"With their h Several of the main doors are secured with spells"

"Is he really a shadow charmer?" Maddox asked "Undoubtedly," Bracken replied

"I don’t know much about it," Seth confessed "It happened by accident" He explained about the grove with the nail and the revenant, and then how Graulas had sealed his powers

"I’ve heard of Graulas," Bracken said "Never crossed paths with hiht on the brink of death," Seth said "Because his death is so near, he doesn’t care about allegiances anymore, so he sometimes helps me out of boredom"

Bracken looked pensive "Graulas may have been of service in the past, but don’t let yourself get comfortable around him Demons are evil to the center It is their nature to take advantage of others Good never comes from them"

"You sound like Grandpa Sorenson," Seth said "Graulas doesn’t pretend to be good, but he really did helpto be careful," Maddox said kindly "Bracken has some experience with dee in it, but they’re always scheive bad fruit"

"Well, he one last time I saw him Tell me your story, Bracken What powers did you used to have? Why do you know so et into it soaze

"No need for modesty!" Maddox bellowed "Tell the boy what you are!"

Bracken stared at the ceiling, as if wishing he were elsewhere "He doesn’t even knohether he should trust us yet This is pre sensitive information anytih My instincts say we’re on the same side By the way, you said you could show me other friends"

"I barely met your friend Mara," Bracken said "She doesn’t know me any better than you do And I kno to reach your friend Berrigan as well It’s kind of a tricky cli him heal"

"You have to tell me who you are," Seth insisted "I’le stuff like this and then take it back You’re torturing hed "No, seriously"

"He’s serious," Maddox said

Seth considered Bracken skeptically "Don’t unicorns usually have horns? And, you know, hooves and fur and all that?"

"This is my human form," Bracken said "Soons"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>