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I’d known that if I gave her just enough reason to believe me, even if there were some doubts in her mind, she would otten rid of a another attack fro toof true value--the ih she didn’t adht that they wouldn’t risk the lives of their twins and would just hand over the immune She didn’t realize how much everyone in The Shade looked out for each other

As I sat on the stone steps outside the castle that evening, looking down at the snowy landscape, I recalled how Rose had once sat with ainst my chest

She was the embodi my dark island wasn’t

Annora had underestimated them because she’d underestimated their huain

That hy I was surprised, after several hours of being on the lookout, to see a dozen or so sube in the harbor I didn’t understand why Annora had let them enter the boundaries with so little resistance It was as if she wanted theures bundled out of the vessels and rushed through the forest

Noas time to play my part But, memories of Rose still fresh in e before rushing back into the castle to alert the others

"They’re here," I called

Every vampire in the castle had been warned in advance, so as soon as they hearddown to the entrance hall, prepared for battle I scanned the hall for Annora, but didn’t see her

A few seconds after we’d all asseainst the door

While I had been surprised at first that Annora had allowed them to enter the island so easily, now that they were seconds fro the door down, I realized what her plan was

I contee had been I could have not alerted anyone at all, and it wouldn’t have made a difference to their fate

Even with the witches they’d brought with them, they had already lost the battle Hell, even if they’d had a hundred witches from The Sanctuary, it would have been an unfair match

Because they had no idea what kind of witch Annora was

Chapter 5: Derek

"It’s al as he stood in the center of the control roo at him in confusion

"There’s no forcefield at all around the island"