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One of the Outcasts nodded "We perceived their brands, their gold insignias--the star with seven points for the seven holy virtues painted on their necks"

"What about Roland and Arriane and Annabelle?" Luce asked

"They are with the Scale Their wings are bound," Vincent said

Luce turned away, biting down on her lower lip

Hoful it s restrained She couldn’t bear to think of Arriane without the freedoine any substance strong enough to contain the power of Roland’s s

"Well, if we knohere they are, let’s go rescue them already," she said

"And the relic?" Daniel said lowly to Vincent

Luce gaped at hier"

"Do they have it?" Daniel pressed He glanced at Luce, put his hand around her waist "Everything is in danger We will save Arriane and the others, but we have to find that relic, too"

"We do not know about the relic" Vincent shook his head "The warehouse is heavily guarded, Daniel Grigori They await your arrival"

Daniel faced the city, his violet eyes casting along the river as if seeking out the warehouse His wings pulsed

"They won’t be waiting long"

"No!" Luce pleaded "You’ll be walking into a trap

What if they take you hostage, the way they’ve taken the others?"

"The othersas I follow their protocol, appeal to their vanity, the Scale will not ilanced at the Outcasts and added, "Unar you," Vincent said in his even, monotone voice "We will follow at a distance and--"

"No" Daniel lifted a hand to stop Vincent "You will take the warehouse roof Did you sense Scale there?" Vincent nodded "A few The majority are near the main entrance"

"Good" Daniel nodded "I’ll use their own procedure against them Once I reach the front doors, the Scale aste ti they can al

While I distract theh the warehouse roof and free Roland, Arriane, and Annabelle And if you face a member of the Scale up there--"

In unison, the Outcasts held open their trench coats to reveal sheaths of dull silver starshots and co bows

"You cannot kill theori," Vincent pleaded "We are all better off without them"

"They are called Scale not only because of their small-minded obsession with rules They also provide an essential counterbalance to Lucifer’s forces You are quick enough to elude their cloaks We only need to delay them, and for that a threat will suffice"

"But they only seek to delay you, " Vincent countered "All of this delaying will lead to oblivion" Luce was about to ask where this plan left her when Daniel drew her into his aruard the relic" They looked at the halo, resting against the base of the warrior statue It was beaded with rain "Please don’t argue We can’t let the Scale near the relic You and it will be safest here Olianna will stay to protect you"

Luce glanced at the Outcast girl, who stared back eray "Okay, I’ll stay here"

"Let us hope the second relic is still at large," he said, arching back his wings "Once the others have been freed, we can ether" Luce clenched her fists, closed her eyes, and kissed Daniel, holding hione a second later, his regal wings growing s alongside him Soon they all seemed little more than flecks of dust in the clouds

Olianna hadn’t moved She stood like a trench-coated version of any of the other statues on the roof She faced Luce with her hands clasped together over her chest, the blond hair along her forehead pulled back so tight into its ponytail it looked like it would snap When she reached inside her trench coat, a harsh scent of sawdust wafted out When she pulled out and nocked a silver starshot, Luce scrambled a few steps back

"Do not be afraid, Lucinda Price," Olianna said "I only want to be prepared to defend you in case an enemy approaches"