Page 73 (1/2)

"I could do it," Faye offered "If we decide to cast this spell"

Verlaine made up her mind "You have to do it You have to try And I’ll anchor the spell"

Everyone stared at her Verlaine couldn’t quite believe she’d said that herself But she knehat she knew

"I love Uncle Gary as much as I love anybody on Earth" Her breath didn’t want to support her voice; it felt caught in her chest, waiting for tears she wouldn’t let come "But I don’t just love him I know him And if we could tell him how much is at stake--that this could mean the deaths of thousands and thousands of people if we fail--then he’d say to take the chance He’d do it himself if he could I know that, for sure"

It felt beyond horrible to risk Uncle Gary’s life like that Just getting the words out seeth from her body

But a life was more than a pulse, more than a breath A life was also made up of what you believed and what you stood for Of what you illing to do--and who you loved Protecting Uncle Gary’s survival at the cost of sowould betray his lifeelse, and Verlaine knew it

"I’ll take the chance with hi out her hand for Nadia’s pearl charm

Mateo reached across the table and took her free hand Verlaine was surprised how ht," Nadia saidno, promised Her dark eyes burned with intensity as she removed the pearl charm from her bracelet and put it into Verlaine’s pal of a solemn oath "I can do it I can and I will"

"I know," Verlaine replied, and for a htened around hers At first she thought he was still attehter, until the bones of her hand ached She looked at hih her--

Nadia shook his shoulder "Mateo?"

He collapsed

"I serve the One Beneath, and he will not be denied," Elizabeth said, storht as if with an unearthly fire

"So a corridor, pursued by pounding footsteps and the shouts of dozens of--people? Demons? In the shadows Mateo couldn’t tell any difference All he saas fury and destruction, bearing down on her faster by thewater, as though she were in theon to so like a door, or a pillar--like she was inside, even as the waves rose higher

The stor brilliant in the sky, as she said, "I serve the One Beneath--"