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In two steps, she found herself e in the South Bronx When she turned around, there was no evidence of any sort of gateway or opening in the brick Eidolon hailed a cab, and within fifteen minutes they were at her apartment

She still hadn’t said a word, and herhorab your weasel and sos"

"I can’t" Her voice sounded rusty and unused and on the verge of breaking She was on the verge of breaking, trapped inside a night to rob you of everything that ave up that right when you blew up my hospital" He paid the cabbie and walked with her into her building’s ust when a hypoder to need help as your body changes We have a lot to talk about"

"There’s nothing to talk about," she said, as theyhen it caether "I don’t know if I believe--"

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end Instinct kicked in, along with a burst of adrenaline, and she crouched Her eyesight grew sharper as she took in the entire areabelow, above, even the ceiling De pipes

Her hand went reflexively to where she’d nor but cool skin beneath the scrub top Eidolon had given her to replace her bloody one

He eased up behind her, lowered his ht," she whispered She crept up another step to peer over the top of the next landing "My door is open"

Menace rolled off Eidolon in a wave that was almost palpable He started up the stairs, but she threw out an arm to block him

"I can handle this" Heck, she needed this She needed to beat the hell out of soripped her

Through the opening in the door, she caught a glimpse of movement Humans Guardians

Two, from what she could see Cole and Bleakthe tho had been involved in the olf battle that had killed Michelle and Trey They were sitting on her couch eating McDonald’s

Territorial rage spun uphu her eyes, she tried to get it together She was behaving as if she’d truly accepted her demon fate, that the Guardians were the enemy These two hadn’t been the ones who’d sent her into a de in like a rabid hellhound wasn’t going to help anything Besides, their version of what had happened the night Michelle and Trey died was different froood guys Saviors of humanity They did not betray each other They didn’t lie They didn’t try to kill their tea

"Don’t let them see you," she said to Eidolon "I don’t knohy they’re here, but they’re more likely to talk if I’m alone"

"Slayers?" he asked At her nod, he inhaled sharply "If they so ue or she could analyze the possessiveness in his voice, she stepped inside

Cole leaped to his feet "Tayla Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?"

"I live here" Shecold at the panic on their faces telling her these two had to have known about her being sent to the hospital as an exploding chump How many other Guardians had been involved? A chosen few? The entire cell?

No She refused to believe everyone had turned against her

"We were told you were dead"

"Obviously, I’lances, and yeah, apparently the fact that she was breathing wasn’t great news "That’s awesoht I was dead, why are you here?"

"To clean out your aparted into his jacket, and she didn’tholster "Let’s take you back to HQ"

Bleak moved behind her "Yeah Everyone’ll be stoked to see you"

The un the air broke the oh-so-fake happy reunion She struck hard and fast, knocked Bleak’s dagger out of his hand Cole’s roundhouse kick to the hip spun her into the wall, and then Eidolon was there, tearing Bleak away and leaving her to concentrate on Cole

Bleak’s scream pierced her eardrum as she nailed Cole in the face with her fist "Don’t kill him," she shouted

"Fuck that," Eidolon snarled

"No!"

The dull thud of flesh striking flesh told her he wasn’t listening

Cole swung, an uppercut she blocked, and she could no longer pay attention to what Hellboy was doing Cole was ha her with blows, and it was tis in an arc and knocked hi his waist as she sla her around the throat, and suddenly she was struggling to stay on top They were closely ether for nearly the sath and her injury, what should have been an easy take-do beca, she reached for a candle jar that had fallen froers closed on the rim His fist drove into her belly

Pain slashed at her, but she ground her teeth and brought the candle down on his teroan, she rolled off hied away frout, one hand wrapped around his throat

"Okay, asshole," Eidolon growled "Tilanced at Bleak’s cru, but his chest rose and fell with regular breaths Thank God

"You bastard," she said to Cole "What the hell was that all about?"

He glared up at her, and Eidolon must have squeezed, because Cole clawed at his hand "Deasped "You’re a spy You murdered Janet"

Oh, Jesus They knew "I-I’m not a spy I didn’t kill Janet" Her denial came out in a rush she didn’t even believe because in a way, she had killed the other Guardian

Her gaze locked with Eidolon’s

"Yuri must have talked," he rips with the fact that deh her veins, but her own people had obviously tried to kill her for it

She tucked her leg beneath her and got comfortable, because she had a lot of questions for Cole Starting with, "What were your orders?"