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Valek, who had been absently watching the fantastic, neitchment twinkle above the bed for the last severalsoundly next to hio The dark circles under her eyes had disappeared only slightly, but any ahtly back to the apples of her cheeks It must have been the power Sarah added to those chocolate beads One of her arripped the co it up around her shoulders She was cold, he heard in her oing to htly brushing against her cheek "I proain"

Her eyes fluttered slightly and a soft moan trailed froht have awoken her preh her eyes did not open "Don&039;t leave me, Valek"

"It&039;s okay, Lottie" He eased away "Sleep now" Gently, carefully, he grabbed on to her wrist, pulling it up to his ently, and she let out a soft little half-asleep moan The red seeped up in a small, delicate pool over his lips He could hear her fairly norin to mellow once more and he released her ar the wound closed

Gingerly, he pulled out the other chocolate bead froot up from the bed He laced up his shoes and adjusted his overcoat He bent to retrieve a thick, woven comforter he kept under the bed, unfolded it, and draped it over the sleeping girl Walking to one of the large s, he pulled back the drapes to reveal a brilliant winter dusk Snow had fallen during the day, and it twinkled like finely sanded crystals across the lawn, covering the cobblestone footpath co the Occult town in hues of light pinks and lavenders He looked at Charlotte asleep in the bed one last time before he exited the roo by the open door, one leg outside She looked up at his and suitcases around her feet

"Ready?" she asked

"What&039;s all that?"

"Trustneedle through the air before her Valek watched as the various articles of luggage shrank down to an iathered them within the pocket of her skirt "See? Not a probleht" Valek looked toward the chamber that held Lusian and the twins He heard hi for him to leave He balled his hands into fists at his sides and looked back to Sarah

"I change my mind We cannot leave just her alone here I know the others will take advantage of her"

Mr T&345;inozka e the staircase with his eight enorru readily in front of the master bedroo happen to our girl! You can count on me!" His massive, knobbed an to ascend the staircase from the foyer

Valek looked down to Sarah once o without her, the Witch thought at him You have two choices If she comes with us, she will die quicker than if she is left here without you It&039;s up to you How much time do you think she&039;ll last in your presence?

Valek narrowed his eyes at her, but made a fast decision "Spider, you must do me an additional favor as well" Valek stepped once toward hi"

"You mustn&039;t let Charlotte follow us Please No s you, which she will No ht his own sadness and reservation, his fists clenching at his sides "You cannot"

Mr T&345;inozka lifted his two front, right hands "Not a problem, Valek She&039;s under ain, toss in the bed, behind the closed doors She was already waking up

"You&039;d better go" The Spider&039;s words came out somberly this time "I&039;ll take care of her I swear it"

Valek only looked at hi of what to say next

"You will return shortly," he continued, his voice low and war for you in better condition than what you&039;ve left her in"

Valek s the staircase His gait to the front door was slow All he could think about was the griolden ring out fro there on a pewter chain He had been carrying it like that for the last few months

"Watch over us, Andela," he whispered and tucked it back inside his shirt

"Valek, we have to leave now Charlotte ake up any minute," Sarah pleaded

Valek turned to look behind himself, one last time up the staircase They would succeed, he assured, mostly to Charlotte, who slumbered a story above He had no other choice but to find the elders and achieve a cure "Thank you," he offered up to Mr T&345;inozka and Edwin He stepped over the threshold and out into the night, closing the door behind hih he would never see it again But he sa Charlotte rolled in pain every night-sa she suffered With sothe two of them, Charlotte needed to be at full health, if he didn&039;t want to risk losing her again

"I&039; her either, Valek Do you think I want to leave the only family I&039;ve ever known? The only one who&039;s ever treated me like a friend and not a slave? It hurts just the same" She threw one end of her scarf over her shoulder Afraid of actually beco emotional, Valek couldn&039;t respond to her He sed his pain and continued stoically down the footpath

Sarah and Valek walked silently next to each other for the last tih the empty Occult Square He listened to Sarah&039;s laced, leather boots as she trudged through the packed snow There was a rustling sound down a dark alley, between shops, and the s of what sounded like a tin trash can and a hiss A feline Phaser chasing dinner The sky since opened up and san to fall over the enchanted city It was a peaceful wonderland, in contrast to the stor too silently next to hi was severely bothering her She wiped a few sparkling tears away froh cheekbones

"So, where exactly are we headed now?" he asked with a jagged, pained s our path to Abelirinned wickedly "It told us to travel on hoof and spell Well, you&039;ve got spell" She indicated herself "Noe need hoof"

The two neared the town stables that sat at the very end of the square, just before where the residential distract began Valek could hear the horsesin the fodder Sarah rounded the front of the stable, the large, wooden doors creaking as she opened theh the snow to her side

The stable s foul It was encased in darkness until she lass jar that hung from the center of the wooden beams There were five different enclosures, with a horse in each One of the, unrulyup within her stall She began to rear and kick, screeching louder

"She&039;s afraid of you," Sarahin here?" Valek asked again

"You&039;re not going to approve," she warned hi her arms over her chest

She walked over to the startled horse, reaching deep within her apron pocket, and pulled out a sugar cube She hushed the ani the treat out to it "There, there"

Valek stayed as still as he possibly could, and the horse calmed after a few moments It ate from the palm of Sarah&039;s hand as she reached up with her other hand to stroke her nose

"That&039;s better" She giggled

"You want to steal a horse?" Valek snorted "Fine Why would I not approve?"

"I want to steal two horses," she explained and spun around to face him "Two Vampire horses" Her lips formed into the wickedest smile

Realization smacked him hard across the face Valek backed away from her "No No No" He shook his head "Do you kno reckless that is? It&039;s positively theI&039;ve ever heard What if they run? There will be two De Europe! Animals are uncontrollable Unpredictable"

"Valek," Sarah pleaded "Just hearfaster You&039;ll get back to Charlotte faster And they&039;ll be indestructible We can run for days"

"Terrific plan Except you&039;re forgetting one thing" He lifted his finger to her "How are we going to run for days, when you&039;re dealing with one Vareice its size She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out two syringes and two vials filled with a bluish, blackish liquid

Valek recognized what it was instantly "Fae blood?"

"Yep!" Sarah said triu full of the stuff

"How did you acquire so just like you do" She sh in your bloodstream for now I&039;ll just save this for a sunny day Now, change theust and loosened his ascot His stomach bubbled He had never taken blood from a horse before There had been the occasional rat, but that was only when he had been particularly desperate As he watched the ani there, he i in the world to do Ani to die They kneas going to do it, and how The horse watched his ain

"Quickly! So to hear all of this co over her shoulder

Valek sed and moved slowly toward the horse with his hands up in an effort toworked The ani as it tried desperately to kick out the back wall of the stable

"Now, Valek! Attack it!"