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"Maybe I don’t want to join anyer last hen I proive you the name of the man that could help your brother"

"That was then"

I e of the doorway to see them inside James’s back is to the door and he stands shirtless before Kara and five men dressed in black robes The room is dark, lit only by candles and torches set into the stone walls There’s a pit filled with s ash in the center of the room Chains and ly like a dungeon

"We helped you" Kara gives him one of her special smiles, the one that’s made many men over the years lose their coins into her purse "And now you will help us"

"Not sure about that, Mother"

She grimaces "I’ve asked you not to call Don’t want these nice e, do you?"

She nods at anotherto be a probleain control over this situation"

He draws out a long metal bar fro as he’s struck in the back of the head He falls to the ground unconscious and bleeding

I don’t hesitate before racing into the roo?" I demand

Kara looks at me with shock, which shifts swiftly to disappointment "Adam, you shouldn’t be here"

"Why did you knock him out? You told me he wasn’t even here and now you do this to hireed to be a part of this"

"Sounded like he changed his mind"

"It was stupid to render the boy unconscious," another h clenched teeth "The vessel needs to be conscious It has already begun There’s no stopping it now"

The ashes in the pit begin to swirl as if touched by an unseen wind and the roorows colder until I can see my breath freeze before me with each exhale I crouch over Jaers--even Kara, whom I’ve never totally trusted but never considered a true threat

"Oh, Ada her head "You don’t knohat you’ve interrupted here"

"Soe over Thomas Kraven?"