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They had two of the three relics, but they didn’t knohat the third was, didn’t kno to read theether Worse, in the process of locating the relics, they’d gained more enemies And it looked like they had lost their friends

Dust froernails What if it was Ca wary about Ca despondent at the thought of losing hi and not the guy that Luce was meant to be with--but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about him, didn’t care for him in a certain way

And Gabbe The Southern beauty who always knew the right thing to say and do Froel had done nothing but look out for her Now Luce wanted to look out for Gabbe

Molly Zane had also gone to Avignon with Cam and Gabbe Luce had feared, then hated Molly--until the other h the bedroo for her in bed It was a solid favor Even Callie liked spending tied?

Had Luce?

The rhyths across the starry sky lulled Luce into a deep state of relaxation, but she did not want to sleep She wanted to focus on what otha, to brace herself for as co

"What’s on your mind?" Daniel asked His voice was low and intih Annabelle and Arriane flew in front of thes, dark silver and iridescent, spread wide over the green boot of Italy

Luce touched the silver locket around her neck "I’ht "You’re so brave, Luce"

"I feel stronger than I ever have before, and I’m proud of all the memories I can access on my own, especially if they can help us stop Lucifer"--she paused, glancing down at her dusty fingernails--"but I’ towards now"

"I won’t let Sophia get anywhere near you"

"It’s not what she ht do to me, Daniel It’s what she e, all that dust--"

"I hope as much as you do that Careat beat and Luce felt her body rise above a swollen rain cloud "But angels can die, Lucinda"

"I know that, Daniel"

"Of course you do And you kno dangerous this is Every angel who joins our struggle to stop Lucifer knows it, too By joining us, they acknowledge that our el’s soul"

Luce closed her eyes A single angel’s soul

There it was again The idea she’d first heard Arriane speak about in the Vegas IHOP One powerful angel to tip the scales One choice to deterht that had lasted for millennia

When she opened her eyes, theover the dark landscape below

"The forces of Heaven and Hell," she began, "are they really in balance against each other right now?" Daniel was quiet She felt his chest rise against her and then fall His wings beat a bit more swiftly, but he didn’t answer

"You know?" Luce pressed on "The saels on the other?"

Wind whipped against her

Finally, Daniel said, "Yes, though it’s not that simple

It’s not a matter of a thousand here versus a thousand there Different players ht You heard Phil laible--though you’d never know that from the way they carry on about their iels? They are worth a thousand lesser angels"

"Is it still true that there’s one iel who still has to choose a side?"

A pause "Yes, that is still true"

She’d already begged him to choose once, on the rooftop at Shoreline They were in the ht But their bond was stronger now Surely if he kne much she supported him, that she’d stand by him and love him no matter what, it would help him finally make up his mind

"What if you just went ahead andchose?"

"No--"

"But, Daniel, you could stop this! You could tip the scales, and no one else would have to die, and--"

"I h and knew, even without looking, the precise shade his eyes would be glowing now: a deep, wild lupine violet

"It’s not that easy anymore," he repeated

"Why not?"

"Because this present no longer matters We’re in a pocket of ti noouldn’t litch is fixed We still have to stop hiets his way and erases the past five or six ain--"

"Or we succeed," Luce said automatically

"If that happens," Daniel said, "we’ll reassess how the ranks are aligned"

Twenty feet below the in slow trancelike loop-the-loops, as if to pass the tiels usually avoided She cas damp and her pink hair plastered to the side of her face without even see to notice Roland was sohts as he carried Dee in his arms Everyone seemed weary, distracted