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The creature’s s

[You really are kind, Jane True,] itI knewwater everywhere The Alfar was free

But she wasn’t going anywhere

Her expression was frozen in horror, gazing down through lifeless eyes at the tentacle speared through her torso

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

You didn’t have to do that," I whispered, as the tentacle shook Phaedra free The bald little Alfar fell to the wet floor with a splat There was no reason to check whether she was alive or dead, not with the hole in her chest so big I could have stuckPhaedra as a necklace, and I shuddered

[No,] it said, in s easier]

I looked at the Alfar’s huddled form "I had her contained"

[Yes, you did But I’ve seen inside her thoughts She would never have stopped co for you Or for ht But to kill her--

[Was so I took upon myself, so that your people did not have to There is no place that could guarantee her captivity, and she cannot be allowed free at this juncture As I said, I saw into her hts trailed off

"And?" I prompted

[And you must believe erous thing either hidden or hiding out there My prison’s cruht destroy a corner of the world… but there are things out there that will gladly take the whole planet with them]

"Is this what you saw in Phaedra’s mind?"

[She was but a minion; she knew only her own mission But she had heard rumors, and knehere others had been sent]

"Are they looking for other creatures? Other artifacts?"

[Both But this is not a conversation we should have in private…]

I felt the creature’s poirl about me, and then I heard a pop as Blondie apparated in front of us

"What the fuck?" she said, throwing up shields and peering madly about When she saw

"Hey, girl," I said, laughing and trying to figure out where to putan ax Or a labrys Whatever

"Are you all right?" she said, rearing back to scan reat Better than Phaedra," I said, gesturing with h," she said "Holey-

"Jane," she said, her eyes shining "You accepted!"

I looked at the labrys I looked at Blondie I looked at the labrys again And then I put two and two together

"You conned iant eyeball

Its presence in , amused, and entirely unrepentant

"I’m your cha the labrys, you’ve accepted e it for a pair of socks?"

[No,] it said [Now letbetween the eyeball and Blondie So Ito coly made myself the creature’s little pet

[Hello, child,] cao pale, then turn to the great eyeball To my surprise, she fell to her knees

"Sire," she whispered, tears choking her throat "I’ies It is good to see you with ht,] it said

She sniffled, and then turned to me

"I’m proud of you, Jane You did what you had to do"