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"How do you think I recruited them in the first place?" Marcus shook his head "Do you really think you’re the only two creatures on the planet who have reason to dislike the covenant’s restrictions?"

But Mattheas too distracted to respond He already felt the first, restless io after Diana Soon he wouldn’t be able to sit still for o to her And it would only get worse from there

"Come on" Marcus put his ar for us

I suppose the da will have to come to New Orleans, too"

Still Matthew didn’t respond He was listening for Diana’s voice, her distinctive step, the rhythm of her heartbeat

There was only silence, and stars too faint to show hih Libra, it is a good time for journeys Beware of open enemies, war, and opposition

23

"Let lass wasn’t in thethe door open "Matthewyou"

That was no surprise to Gallowglass Jason had once told hiuidance had convinced hieful deity Contrary to biblical teachings, however, She was feet off safely?" Diana asked quietly frohostly pale, and a slass cursed and leaped up the steps

"They did," he said, grabbing the case before she did solass found ithour that Diana didn’t siiven the burden of the twins

"Why did you pack a suitcase?" Chris asked "What’s going on?"

"Auntie is going on a journey" Gallowglass still thought leaving New Haven was a bad idea, but Diana had infor--with higed

"Pro on the aDNA sae problem, Chris," Diana said as she descended the stairs

"You know I don’t leave research problems unfinished" Chris turned on Miria?"

"How could I not? Sheher suitcase out of the closet and calling the pilot" Miriarilass didn’t knohat Diana had planned--she said she would tell him once they were in the air--but he doubted they were headed for a Caribbean island with swaying palms and war

"Lock the door when you leave, Chris And ed" She stood on her toes and kissed her friend on the cheek "Take care of Miriaht, even if she is a vae manila envelope "As requested"

Diana peeked inside "Are you sure you don’t need them?"

"We have plenty of samples," she replied

Chris looked deep into Diana’s eyes "Call if you need me No matter why, no ht"

"Thank you," she whispered, "I’ll be fine Gallowglass is with lass no joy

How could they, when they were uttered with such resignation?

The de Clerlass stared out the , tapping his phone against his leg The plane banked, and he sniffed the air North by northeast

Diana was sitting next to hihtly on Apple and Bean as though she were co them There was a trace of moisture on her cheeks

"Don’t cry I cannot bear it," Gallowglass said gruffly

"I’m sorry I can’t seem to help it" Diana turned in her seat so that she faced the opposite side of the cabin Her shoulders treood" Gallowglass unclipped his seat belt and crouched by her leather recliner He patted Diana on the knee She grasped his hand The power pulsed under her skin It had abated so moment when she’d wrapped the sire of the de Clermont family in a briar patch, but it was still all too visible Gallowglass had even seen it through the disguising spell Diana wore until she boarded the jet

"Hoas Marcus with Jack?" she asked, her eyes still closed

"Marcus greeted him as an uncle should and distracted him with tales of his children and their antics Lord knows they’re an entertaining bunch," Gallowglass said under his breath But this wasn’t what Diana really wanted to know

"Mattheas bearing up as well as could be expected," he continued ently There had been a le Hubbard, but Gallowglass wasn’t going to worry about so that was, on the face of it, an excellent notion

"I’lad you and Chris called Marcus," Diana whispered

"That was Miria Matthew for centuries, just as he had been looking after Diana "As soon as she saw the test results Miriam knew that Mattheould need his son at his side"

"Poor Phoebe," Diana said, a note of worry creeping into her voice "Marcus couldn’t have had tiive her lass had spent two ot a strong spine and a stout heart, just like you"

Gallowglass insisted Diana sleep The aircraft’s cabin was outfitted with seats that converted to beds He made sure Diana had drifted off before he marched into the cockpit and demanded to know their destination

"Europe," the pilot told him

"What do you mean ‘Europe’?" That could be anywhere frone to Oxford

"Madame de Clermont hasn’t chosen her final destination She told me to head to Europe So I’ to Sept-Tours Go to Gander, then," Gallowglass instructed

"That was my plan, sir," the pilot said drily "Do you want to fly her?"

"Yes No" What Gallowglass wanted was to hit so "Hell, man You do your job and I’ll do lass wished with all his heart he’d fallen in battle to so safely at the airport in Gander, Gallowglass helped Diana down the stairs so that she could do as the doctor had ordered and stretch her legs

"You’re not dressed for Newfoundland," he observed, settling a worn leather jacket over her shoulders "The ill shred that pitiful excuse for a coat to ribbons"

"Thank you, Gallowglass," Diana said, shivering

"What’s your final destination, Auntie?" he asked after their second lap of the tiny airstrip

"Does it ned to weary to so worse

Hopeless

"No, Auntie It’s Nar-SAR-s’wauk--not NUR-sar-squawk," Gallowglass explained, tucking one of the down-filled blankets around Diana’s shoulder Narsarsuaq, on the southern tip of Greenland, was colder even than Gander Diana had insisted on taking a brisk walk anyway