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"We need help, Bran," I said

My words sank in, and he knew exactly what I lanced fro" He pounded on the door, calling for Zoe’s parents

"Bran" He whipped around, the point of his sword at rim and completely unmovable

"No"

Zoe opened the door Oh shit Goose bumps spread up my arms Her eyes were rabbed Zoe’s shoulders "Zoe Where are your mom and dad?"

She didn’t answer, not even when he shouted her na," Sebastian said

Two vaup with the varabbed his face, about to put all uy’s throat, the point stopping an inch fromfrom underneath him as the sithdrew and sliced the head from the body

For a moment I couldn’t move Bran loomed in front of me, reached down, and plucked the head off the floor Another headless body lay on the landing Kieran, sword dripping, leaned over and picked up the head like sooddess

"You have power, use it," Bran said roughly as I got up

Ithe blood from my face as best I could "I was about to"

He walked toward Kieran, and together they tossed the heads down the stairs, a fair warning to any who ht want to come up

We herded Zoe into the apartment and shut the door Bran went to theto survey the scene outside I joined hi and across the square, one corner of an apart," I said quietly "What if this god is good? What if we can ask for his help in exchange for waking him?"

"You said so yourself," Sebastian added "We’re screwed"

Bran’s jaw ticked as I stared at his profile Down below, cries and breaking glass could be heard over the sounds ofand snarls and shouts "We find out lanced back at his daughter, worry on his face "You talk to her Bastian, Kieran, and I will keep watch Cut all the lights We don’t want to draw attention We do nothing"--he looked at me pointedly--"until we know more"

I drew in a deep breath and went to Zoe as Sebastian killed the lights Kieran stepped back, a little freaked out by Zoe’s white eyes She was a fighter, not an exorcist Neither was I, for that matter Bran opened the door and took up position on the landing, while Kieran covered the doorway Sebastian was the last line of defense between ht frolow It made Zoe look even creepier I knelt down in front of her

"Zoe It’s od who speaks to you" Nothing "Zoe It’s od-killer"

The corners of her mouth drew back into a ss "Wake e whisper came from her lips "Wake me up and I’ll set you free"

"Who are you?" I asked "I won’t wake you up until I knoho you are and why you want to return to our world"

Zoe went silent for a long ain, but then she spoke, fast, as though uttering a prayer that hadn’t been uttered since tian "I a Star I am the Sun and the Moon Ruler of the Skies Guardian of Pharaohs I am the Great Falcon I a I have opened a path I have delivered s"

The roo I didn’t knohat had changed, but I sure as hell felt that so had Bran stood in the doorway, his face pale, his sword arm limp, his eyes dazed

Zoe clutched the front of my bloody shirt and pulled ent and de me back"

Zoe shoved me aith a force that was not her own I landed on ed on, filling the dead silence Explosions lit the dark roo everything back into focus We were running out of tis crossed and her hands resting limply in her lap Her eyes were locked on me Then they shifted to Sebastian "Wake me up and I’ll set you free"

That was the offer Made toat Zoe with troubled eyes "That’s the bargain," I said "Whoever wakes him up is set free from their curse"