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Without another word, Dee strode into the chapel, her heels slapping the black-and-white tile floor

"I’d say you’ve been given quite enough rope, Sophia," Dee said

"Who’s there?" Vivina yelped, startled in enuflection

Dee crossed her ar inLeave it to Sophia to bring her B game to a sacrifice with cosmic and eternal implications"

Luce was desperate to study the reaction on Miss Sophia’s face, but Daniel held her back There were a scraping sound, a asp, and a cruel soft cackle

"Ah yes," Miss Sophia said "My tramp sister returns, just in time to witness my finest hour This will trump your overrated piano recital!"

"You’re really very dumb"

"Because I don’t have the recoet the rope, dope," Dee said "You’re du you et aith this"

"Do not condescend to her!" hissed the third Elder

"There’s really no other way to approach her," Dee instantly replied

"Thank you, Lyrica, but I can handle Paulina," Sophia said without looking away from Dee "Or what do you have people call you now? Pee?"

"You know very well it is Dee You only wish you knehy"

"Ah yes, Dee Biiiiiig difference Well, let us enjoy our brief reunion as best we can"

"Let theo?" Sophia cackled "But I want the over the angels bound upon the altars "I want her dead asp She knehom the librarianyour existence" Dee’s voice sounded almost sad

"Well, you knohat Daddy always used to say:

‘We’re all Hell-bound, anyway’ Might as well try to get ant while we’re on this Earth Where is she, Dee?" Sophia spat "Where is thechild Lucinda?"

"I wouldn’t know" Dee’s voice was s out" Now Daniel let Luce press a little closer to the first chapel’s entrance

"I hate you!" Sophia shouted, pouncing on Dee Roland turned to look at Daniel, asking with his eyes if they should interfere Daniel seemed confident in the desiderata’s abilities He shook his head once

Sophia’s assistant Elders watched from their altars as the two sisters rolled across the floor,out of, then back into Luce’s view Dee on top, then Sophia, then Dee on top again

Dee’s hands found Sophia’s neck and squeezed The old Sword & Cross librarian’s face glowed red as her hands strained against Dee’s chest and she struggled to survive

Slowly, Sophia worked her knee up until it pressed deeply into her sister’s stomach to push her back Dee’s ar to keep their hold on Sophia’s neck She gazed down on her sister’s rage-distorted face, her eyes on fire with hatred

"Your heart turned black, Sophia," Dee said, her voice soft with soht went off No one could turn the light back on We could only try to stop you fro over us in the dark" Then she released Sophia, allowed her to draw a huge and panicked breath into her lungs

"You betrayed asped as Dee took her sister’s collar in her hands, closed her eyes, and ainst the tiles of theshriek as Dee was launched into the air Sophia had kicked her with a force Luce had forgotten the old wo and red in the face, her hair white and wild, as she ran to where Dee had come to rest several feet away Luce rose on her toes and winced when she saw Dee’s eyes were closed

"Ha!" Sophia returned to the altars and reached beneath the one binding Cam She pulled out a sheath of starshots

Back in the alcove Roland glanced at Daniel again

This time Daniel nodded

In an instant, Arriane, Annabelle, and Roland flew fro places into the room Roland drove toward Miss Sophia, but at the last instant, she ducked and deftly avoided hi slapped her across the face, but she had eluded his grasp

In the face of angel wings, the two other Elders cow-ered, shrinking in panicked fear Annabelle held them back while Arriane flicked open a Swiss Army knife from her pocket--the pink one, the sairl’s hairGabbe to the altar

"Stop or I’ll kill hiels as she tore out a fistful of arrows and leaped on Ca him, she raised the silver shafts above his head

His dark hair wasMiss Sophia studied these details with a sel die " She cackled, holding the starshots high "And such an arrogant one to kill" She looked back down at Ca to behold"