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"Who did you expect to be there?"

Her sly sin to ask the important questions I expected only Immanuel, Joseph, and ot it "Oh" To Eli, I said, "I down va like one thing and he ca else Like a skinwalker I bet once he realized that he could be identified as a fraud by his blood, he quit letting people who had drunk froain"

Bethany said nothing, her fingers stroking the bracelet like it was a cat Like it was alive

"Was there a coup d’état in the works against Leo’s uncle, the Master of the City at the tiht and wisdom and treachery," Bethany said, which I took as a yes

"Did Leo know of it?" Had he been involved in this? Did he have e than he had let on?

"No My Leo was always loyal, if foolish and naive"

"Was I of the coup d’état?"

Bethany swiveled, leaned forward, and lay across the bed on her stomach, her bare butt arched up and bare feet in the air, her ankles crossed, her eyes avid on me "The skinwalker is truly treacherous, like a cat with a " She licked her lips in what looked like anticipation as she answered more than I had asked "Leo would never hear evil of his beloved son, his murderous and traitorous son, who tried to kill his uncle"

So cold and certain moved deep within me, and I asked, "You and Iet him on your side?" Bethany nodded I asked, "Maybe you offered to swear allegiance to Joseph if he’d help Immanuel?"

Bethany’s lips parted and she breathed out a soft sigh "Old betrayals Ancient strategies that caether But that night ent to share blood and join together, Adrianna was there with her little para"

I put it together in a rush "Joseph had agreed to work against Amaury, but turned on you to ith theree to ith Adrianna and the Barbie?"

"I do not knohat barbie is" She looked confused "Santana refused us"

"And while you were there, with Iht broke out"

"Question," Wrassler said, and I rephrased the sentence