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He shook his head, his face unusually grave "Not this ti terrified me If Beezle couldn’t crack wise about the Maze, thento be scared of

Maybe it really orse than Raed up a s of almonds that Beezle had soed into ular, non-ambassador clothes I’d packed -sleeved black tee plus my black Converse sneakers I took downplait that ended in the middle of my back Then I wrapped the plait around my head so I looked a lot like Princess Leia, but at least my hair was out of the way and couldn’t be used as a weapon by anything scary that I ht meet in the Maze

I looked at et I was ready for battle

"It would be nice to have a h," I muttered to my reflection

"Would a sword do?" a voice said fro doorway

I whirled around Nathaniel stood in the dooratching me He clutched one ares showing under his unbuttoned dress shirt His face was pale and he looked like he was in horrific pain

"You look terrible," I said with a total lack of sympathy "Why haven’t you healed yourself?"

"It see, "that the spell you used on me cannot be healed in the usual way I must wait for my body to reknit itself"

"You know it’s no less than you deserve," I said

He nodded "I am well aware thatYou must believe that I did not feel like myself"

"You felt like a rast?"

"No," he said slowly "More like I was under the influence of a power not ive credence to this Nathaniel had hurtI’d had of so out from Nathaniel’s eyes

"What power could have overcome you?" I asked "You’re not the weakest of Azazel’s court"

Nathaniel’s eyes flashed "Whose castle do we presently reside in?"

"Ae between us Perhaps she wanted to destabilize your base of power in her court"