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My lips pressed tight "I don’t" Frustrated, I watched two surface de a little But then ical reach I turned to the right, seeing fivethe sa up to fill in the blanks Crap on toast, they were staying exactly out of e That’s why the first had been so bold They’d been learning ed to Trent, hesitating when his pull onof peace and contentlowing spiral, but he was deep into his spell "Trent!" I said louder, nudging his foot I didn’t want to interrupt, but we had enough souls to choose fro as if we’d just left this scene in reality with the vampires "Can you tone it down a little?" This had been a mistake I never should have involved Trent Newt said the Goddess couldn’t hear me I should have done this ly black "They’re focusing on Nina," he whispered, and the va up a hand when five rushed us from three different directions "Get down!" I shouted Nina shrieked, and I threads of unfocused energy at thes flailed as they were blown back, and I spun,up behind us They were testing me, and my heart pounded
"Rachel!" Bis shouted, and I whirled back around
"No!" Trent exclaihI hadn’t knoas there was suddenly ripped aith his voice I gasped, stunned and dizzy, unable to react as Nina was dragged screaress, and when one let go to swing at Bis, Nina fought back, bucking and twisting until she got free Sobbing, she lurched back to me
Trent’s spell had sunk deeper into me than I’d realized, and my pulse thundered as I pulled heavily on the line "Trent! Fire in the hole!" I shouted as I thread of energy straight up "Dilatare!" I exclai it with a twist of round, her desperate clawing ht, I pulled ht "Rhombus!" I shouted as I set the outer circle Satisfied we’d have a moment, I reached to help Nina stand
Face grier, she looked up atto fear as she snatched her outstretched hand away, her eyes wide and black
My heart pounded, and then I was on the dirt, choking as the dust of the ever-after blinded h ht to breathe as bands of steel wrapped around my neck Sinewy brown arers choked hon, even as his skin peeled back and began to char I could feel the va to take overswirled through both our thoughts, es blur where nored, her de away and I gasped, rolling prostrate as I coughed and felt my neck The line I’d used to try to burn the deevery motion hurt My heart thundered, and every pulse sent needles through ot a clean breath in and shoved the line back into the earth as I exhaled in a half sob It was gone The deone I was still myself, but I could feel its alien nature on me, like red dust I had to wash off
Gritty tears blurred ht from my charm Nina stood over me, wisps of hair from the demon she’d pulled off me still in her fist Trent was behind her, white faced The de, to the earth
Had she killed a soul? Was that even possible?
"You will not!" Nina raged, spinning a tight circle in warning, finger crooked, all angles and ugliness It was Felix Nina had broken and Felix had slipped into her, freeing her froht at all "You will not because I say so She is lad the surface de twenty feet back, their eyes glowing and blinking Nina’s lips were pulled back, her posture ugly with her feet spread wide and her head at a weird angle so she could see the sky and earth at the same time
"Rachel?" Trent’s whisper made Nina twitch, and I raised my hand to tell him I was okay Bis was beside him, black in fear but ready to act Jenks was there, too, stuck within the circle Trent had ain in a circle when Rachel needs me, I will kill you in your sleep, Kala frorit from his mouth, Trent nodded and dropped his circle
Jenks darted to ered to a stand "I’ with" The rock under e fro down on it
"No," he said flatly, his wingsso fast they hurthow scared he’d been Forup a few feet and spinning to get a three-sixty "Get ready for so Felix/Nina, I flexed my hand to rid it of the last of the pinpricks Trent was scra half heard and et out of here and back to the va a white hand to the ground to stay upright My attention shot to the horizon when a surface de to appear from nowhere
"Trent, it’s hiain, the elven dru I submit, become
Become It had been what the Goddess had been terrified of, beco her as shewas reborn Adrenaline pulsed through me, and the sharp stab of pain from Jenks’s sword on ht for Trent’s spell
Nina had fallen to her knees, eyes fixed on the surface demon as tears rolled down her face "Oh God," sheme it was Felix "PleaseI can’t"
BesideNina reached out to the de back fros felt like fire "Rache, you think theood idea?"
No, I didn’t I shook off my shock and stumbled forward It was obvious that the surface deiven hily He hissed as he saw me, but he’d almost reached Nina and I didn’t dare let the, afraid toher backward to lure the soul into following us This hadn’t been the original idea, but ere down to quick and dirty As long as I didn’t touch the spiral, I should be okay I’d be okay, wouldn’t I?
Nina took a step, coap Her hand went out, shaking as she enticed hi to ht, Rache," Jenks whispered, and les whenI shouldn’t be here Knees shaking, I remembered the peace the curse promised, the release from fear, froht di Nina over Trent’s spiral The de, afraid to follow, but unable to resist
Nina didn’t seem to notice when she crossed the first of the spiral lines, even when her foot touched it The deh
The undead soul’s eyes widened His outline wavered, and htened as she reached for hireen and red light Trent gasped when the deh Nina’s He’d beco!
Nina and the de but not "Oh God, what have I done?" Nina moaned, and e with Nina’s "What have IPlease I didn’t know I had to!" she sobbed "Let me die, please God, let me die!"
"Get out of the charet Rachel out of there!"
I juan backing Nina across the spiral The soul followed, his feet stepping precisely where ht The undead couldn’t have their souls and survive Felix was sobbing not frouilt for the hundred years of brutality he’d co to believe me I’ll make him believe