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"Pretty much," he er"

I thought of the concubine Of the e door "She left you," I said sadly

"Ti, he didn’t say, but I heard it "So?" I prodded "How do I use the song?"

"Don’t have it"

"Got part of it," I insisted

The Dreamy-Eyed Guy rippled into the bookstore in a stain of liquid darkness that licked up the bookcases, swirled on the walls, covered the ceiling then retreated back into him His head swiveled but I sao visions: the first of the DEG and the second of a great dark star swiveling in an abyss of darkto rest on Cruce "And he has the other"

I exploded "What?" I shot Cruce a furious glare "And you never told rowled, "The fuck I do, oldmusic?" the DEG saidMusic Yes or no?"

"You never finished it," Cruce growled "Or you would have turned your precious concubine into one of us, a thing she was never meant to be You abandoned us for hundreds of thousands of years, created and discarded us, obsessed with your quest You betrayed us again and again"

"Grudges Glories You name them They become it" The Drea voracious whirlpools of swirling darkness, sucking us down, stretching us as thin as threads, yanking us away, and abruptly I stood with Cruce and the Drearassy knoll beneath an enore, jutting planks into the sky like dark fingers reaching for the cool white orb

Tiny, between towering black aliths, I stood with Cruce on led hair around onging deep in their chests to the ed in the soil and rocks beneath my feet, and I could feel it so ic This poas ancient, enor the Earth had ever possessed I ht sink into it, become one with it, become a world myself or perhaps a star, instead of a mere human or queen

"This is the First World," I breathed, understanding

The DEG nodded but looked pastnever betrayed you"

"That was all you did At every opportunity," Cruce snarled

"And noill see if you are as great a king as he"

I narrowed er! the oing, I wasn’t going to like it What did hehad never betrayed Cruce?