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"A sleepsong," Cayle told hred itself was ineffective, Mychael and I thought that the souls inside would be a better target"

I bristled I didn’t like hearingis for the binding of ard souls," he continued

"Binding?" My voice was tight with restraint My father was not a ard soul Being trapped in the Saghred was torture enough; I did not want hi anger So did Mychael

"Raine, it’s like sleep," Mychael explained

"I would think you would want Sarad Nukpana bound," Cayle said, clearly puzzled atabout Sarad Nukpana," I said, my voice low and quiet

"Ronan knows about your father," Mychael told me

"Ah, then I understand your concern," Cayle said "I can guarantee that your father will not be har?"

"No, but--"

"Then you can’t guarantee "

Mychael stepped between us "Raine"

"This isabout!"

"And Sarad Nukpana," he reminded me sternly "And who kno ht hundred years of his life to keep the Saghred out of the hands of people like Sarad Nukpana" Mychael’s intense blue gaze never wavered "It can’t remain active Your father is a Guardian; he knows his duty He would want us to do this" Mychael’s voice lost sohred You’ve been in there; you knohat it’s like Sleep would be a mercy"

I rehred the longest had been reduced to filmy, faceless wraiths Other prisoners seeed and wasted as if froantly pointed ears, a beautiful, pure-blooded high elf His hair was silver, and his eyes were the gray of gathering storm clouds Eyes identical to hred for a year, and he had already begun to fade

I had been able to see through hiritted my teeth and stifled a sniff I would not tear up in front of Mychael, and I sure as hell wouldn’t in front of a stranger

Mychael looked atbecause I kneas right My father had been taken by the Saghred while trying to hide it from the Khrynsani and Sarad Nukpana He would want us to do this

"Is it really like sleep?" I asked Mychael quietly

He gave me a sad smile "Yes, it’s like sleep"

I looked from Mychael to Ronan Cayle "Tell me what you need me to do"

The Guardians’ containment rooms were beneath the basements of the citadel They were roo as powerful as the Saghred The corridors were cold stone; the doors to various rooms were thick wood and banded with so supernatural beasties liked less than iron I wondered if those supernatural occupants had included the two-legged variety fro that Mid was an island full of sorcerers, I would be willing to bet these rooms had also been used as prison cells

The farther into the depths of the citadel ent, the thicker the air got Chilled and constricting Breathing became an effort It wasn’t the closeness and thickness of the walls that gaveelse

"What kind of contain more breath than I could actually spare

"Level ten here, level twelve on the next two floors down"

Contained housing for the Guardians’ newest guest on the bottom floor of the citadel Bottom floor, subterranean, level-twelve containments, plenty of experienced Guardian chaperones--and so to break curfew I bet I kneho the bad boy was I didn’t need any proof to know that Sarad Nukpana would have turned ringleader the hred

"Level twelve should be reassuring," I said

Mychael’s expression was griood shape Most ti a seeker just de you I had always aspired to go beyond that Yet here I was, going down flights of stairs, and I was out of breath That was just plain wrong

I took a ragged gasp of air "Is this normal?"

To my satisfaction, Mychael did look a tad flushed hi paladin meant he had to be in better shape than everyone, and Ronan Cayle’s lung capacity was as well-known as his voice

"To a degree" Mychael took a deep breath "We layer our shields When they’ve just been replenished, it can thicken the air so like this"