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Nadia got to her feet then to face Asa; apparently she was the only one here who had heard anything interesting "What do you uessed?"

"If you expect iven you sonore while she keeps going" Asa folded his ar and lean, zippered in a sideways slash across his chest, with a sharp collar that turned up in back He couldn’t lookred plastic horns on his head, Verlaine thought

Yet the look in his eyes as they met hers didn’t seem demonic at all

"Wait," Nadia said She put up her hands as though she were holding so on Elizabeth will keep going She’ll keep taking people out"

"Is that not obvious?" Asa frowned "I’d have thought at least that much would’ve sunk into your brains by now I overestimated you"

Nadia didn’t seem to pay any attention "But the people she’s chosen don’t have anything to do itchcraft They aren’t falling sick at one location or one time of day So there’s another purpose behind what she’s done It’s like--it’s like Elizabeth doesn’t care who she hurts--but she has to hurt soe, but Verlaine could sense that Nadia was on to so," she whispered to Nadia

"She’s building on pain itself There’s only one thing you build on pain Only one That’s not what she’s doing It can’t be" Nadia’s eyes ide now, but not with exhilaration, even though she definitely, positively had to be on to so Instead she looked afraid

Very quietly Asa said, "I take back what I said about overestilance at Verlaine, he stalked down the hallway; his shoes o and thought the room was colder without him There was no reason that should make her feel evenbecause he can’t help you work against Elizabeth"

"No, he can help us against Elizabeth," Mateo said, which surprised her What did Mateo know about deainst--"

"--the One Beneath," Nadia finished for hi"

Verlaine shook her head "The One Beneath can never, ever enter our world You said so! Not without destroying every barrier between His realht"