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No, not Cam, his past self responded Two kids

Shelby? Now Daniel pounded his fist into the stone floor And the other oneMiles You're not serious? Those Nephilio, I think He pointed at the wall behind him, where some crooked tally marks were etched into the wall I tried to keep track of the day, but you kno it is Tiets away from you

I remember Daniel shuddered But the Nephilies cairl and boy He'd always taken therief, just two one and he was alone again

For a moment The prisoner's voice sounded tired and far away They weren't all that interested in me

Good

Once they found out she was dead, they were in a great hurry toyou and I can understand

Where did they go?

Don't know The prisoner cracked a s for his thin face I don't think they did, either You should have seen how long it took the fools

Daniel felt hih

It isn't funny, his past self said They care for her

But Daniel felt no tenderness for the Nephilim They're a threat to all of us The destruction they could causeHe closed his eyes They have no idea what they're doing

Why can't you catch her, Daniel? His past self laughed dryly We've seen each other before over theher

I--I don't know The words stuck in Daniel's throat, a long sob building behind the, he stifled it I can't reach her Soh so behind the scenes to keep her from me

Your Announcers will always take you where you need to be

"I need to be with her"

Perhaps they knohat you need better than you know yourself

What?

Maybe she shouldn't be stopped The prisoner rattled his chain listlessly That she is able to travel at all ed Maybe you can't catch her until she works that change into the original curse

But-- He didn't knohat to say The sob rose in Daniel's chest, drowning his heart in a torrent of shame and sadness She needs me Every second is a lost eternity And if she e the past andcease to exist

But that's the nature of risk, isn't it? You gaan to reach out, al Daniel's arm Both of them wanted to feel a connection At the last instant, Daniel jerked away

His past self sighed What if it's you, Daniel? What if youre the one who has to alter the past? What if you can't catch her until you've rewritten the curse to include a loophole?

Impossible Daniel snorted Look ate're not with Lucinda There is no reason why my soul wouldn't want to find her as quickly as possible

Daniel wanted to fly away fro at him

Why haven't you offered to accompany me? he asked finally I would refuse you, of course, but some of the others--when I encountered myself in another life, he wanted to join in Why don't you?

A rat crawled along the prisoner's leg, stopping to sniff at the bloody chains around his ankles

I escaped once, he said slowly You remember?

Yes, Daniel said, when you--e--escaped, early on We went straight back to Savoy He looked up at the false hope offered by the light outside theWhy did we go there? We should have knoere walking right into a trap

The prisoner leaned back and rattled his chains We had no other choice It was the closest place to her He drew in a ragged breath It's so hard when she's in between I never feel I can go on I was glad when the duke anticipatedin Savoy, waiting atme back here

Daniel re I'd earned

Daniel The prisoner's forlorn face looked like it had been given a jolt of electricity He looked alive again, or at least, his eyes did They glowed violet I think I've got it The words rushed carelessly out Take a lesson from the duke

Daniel licked his lips Excuse me?

All these lives you say that you've been trailing after her Do as the duke did with us Anticipate her Don't just catch up Get there first Wait her out

But I don't knohere her Announcers will take her

Of course you do, his past self insisted You must have faintthe way, but eventually, it all has to end where it started

A silent understanding passed between the the wall near the , Daniel summoned a shadow It was invisible to hi toward him, and he deftly worked it into shape This Announcer see open the portal There is one place she's sure to go

Yes