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Shade knelt next to her and whispered so

There The heart beat Once Twice It shuddered as though unsure what to do next… and then it started up in a strong, steady beat Kynan’s chest rose, and his lips parted as he took in a giant, choking breath

"Kynan?" Gem scrambled off him "Kynan?"

"Yeah," he rasped "Fuck Yeah"

Gem shrieked with joy and threw herself around him Lore stood and backed away A hand came down on his shoulder Shade’s

"Thanks"

"Don’t mention it," Lore said "Really"

Fuck, that was a stupid thing to do Lore rubbed his hand across his chest, over the hand-shaped scar over his heart These guys ht have the answer to who he was, but really, did it matter? He could pretend to be his own ent But the truth was that he was on a short leash connected to the fist of a demon who could--and did--call him to service at any time, on short notice, and for truly vile jobs

He’d feel the life Lore brought back, and there would be punish the contract to kill the brothers If there was one thing Detharu couldn’t abide, it was reneging on a vow

That, and being cheated out of his cut of the death , then, that he liked it

Twenty-nine

Wraith ignored the Guardians who gawked at the state of his clothes, at the blood dripping off hiht of the little piece of Heaven in his hand Only Val wasn’t staring He was sitting quietly in a chair next to Serena’s bed, head bowed, holding her hand

Relief that Kynan was alive was tempered by the fact that Serena lay deathly still on the bed, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths Shade gripped her wrist and channeled soift into her

"She’s okay," he said softly "I’ her asleep to slon the…" He didn’t need to finish

"Well, deot your precious aers, totally getting off on how everyone--everyone except Val--was on their toes, holding their breath, waiting to see what he’d do

"You need to hand that thing over, dean

"To you?"

"Yes" She held out her hand "The Aegis is the best qualified to keep it--"

Wraith laughed "Seriously, you people are so full of yourselves" He stepped forward "I’ll give it to Tayla then"

"No!" Juan looked like he was going to stroke out "She’s… she’s…"

"Half demon?" Wraith offered "But she is a Guardian, and aren’t they the best qualified to keep it?"

Serena’s rattling breath re what Reaver had said, he crouched next to the only hu the Earth’s air

Kynan was still sitting on the floor, sweat beaded on his pallid skin, being held up, as far as Wraith could tell, by Gem

Kynan tensed "Wraith, no--"

Wraith looped the chain around Kynan’s neck and stood "It’s yours, man The fate of all humankind is in your hands" He winked "No pressure"

While the huht Lore by the shoulders "You You can bring back the dead?"

The guy watched him calmly "Sometimes"

Wraith shoved him into the wall "No half answers I want to know that if so happens to her--" he pointed to Serena "--you can fix her"

Lore’s gaze was flat and black "What’s killing her?"

"Demon infection"