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As the silence an said, "So, then we need to know if the woman is the killer or if she’s another victim"

None of us had an answer for that I turned to Nathanial

"Nohat?"

"Now I get you home before dawn" He strolled across the crisp boards and wrapped his aran frowned at us "I suppose that leaves et rid of the body"

"Leave it," Nathanial said as our feet left the scorched boards "Daill destroy the reed into the living room of Nathanial’s secret house

"I need to consider our options," he said, which pretty much meant he wasn’t sure if he would take the information we’d found to Tatius or not Or h

I sank onto the large green couch As far as I was concerned, the presence of snake veno fact, but vas My chin touched ht dawn and sleep

Nathanial’s scent filled my world as he scooped me off the couch "Best not to sleep in a rooainst le of electricity across ling to keep my eyes open "What if he acts first and asks questions later?"

"I do not think Tatius will hurt ish, but he made it sound like Tatius wouldn’t hurt him, in particular "Why? Because you are on the council now?" That hadn’t seemed like much protection when Tatius had tried to pin him to a door

"No," Nathanial whispered as my eyes drifted closed His lips trailed down my forehead, over the tip of my nose until his breath brushed my mouth "No He will listen because I am his brother"

Chapter Seventeen

I woke to the sensation of tongues of fire crawling underat my arms

There was no fire The room was quiet, empty

I looked down My arms were both whole, healed and unharreorse, as if so too warm for comfort had slithered into my body

What the hell? I stripped off Nathanial’s shirt and rubbedof fla my flesh only increased It was ness

The poison? I hadn’t felt this hen I fell asleep

All but running to the bathroom, I turned the shower on full blast and stepped under the jets of water It didn’t help I couldn’t stand still long enough to washoff the water and left a wet trail behind as I stalked back to the bedroom I raided Nathanial’s dresser and stole another undershirt Then I grabbed the coat I’d worn the night before and tugged it over the thin shirt The coat’s heht-safe portion of the house

I searched each room I came across, but Nathanial wasn’t in any of them Did he decide to see Tatius? Withoutues of fire creeping underhelped

I have to get out of here

The thought barely had ti down the front steps, the door slah the snow, across the yard, through the gate, and onto the icy sidewalk I didn’t pause to consider which direction to walk

Thedulled, and then faded until it was only a minor annoyance I turned down another street and stopped

What the hell a back the way I’d coeance More than irritation More than pain It struck with agony

I gasped and dropped to my knees

"Stars above, what the hell is it?" I whispered, blinking at the snow underto my feet, I hobbled forward, my vision red with pain I didn’t pay attention to where I walked I didn’t care I shouldered through a wooden gate, and the pain fell away