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Alec was off before she finished the sentence, Kristoff on his heels

"Stay here!" Kristoff bellowed to Pia, who answered with a terse, "In your dreareat-grandma would have kittens if she kneent to Abaddon"

The house was filled with antiques, a showcase that should by rights be on a historical register, but Alec appreciated none of that as he tore through the large entrance hall, heading for the opposite side The hall itself was pided down the ht, delineating the part of the house that projected into the mortal world froh the ebony field, stu over the twisted tiles of the floor as he entered the hellish side

The antiques here were grotesque parodies of furniture, all the angles skewed, odd little legs and ar the unwary passerby The light was different, as well, feeble strea a quick death in the murkiness inherent in Abaddon "Corazon!" Alec bellowed, jerking his jacket frorasp of as once an armchair Where are you?

Alec? What therun, Alec, run! The va off down a side hallway just as Kristoff and Pia entered the Abaddon side of the building

"Good god," Pia gasped, clutching Kristoff "This is horrible! Look at that couch It looks like it&039;s been tortured Who in their right mind would torture furniture ?"

"A demon lord," Kristoff answered

"I had to practice ," Sally said, her voice reaching Alec as he ripped open door after door searching for Cora

"Sally, really, Ito say?" Diamond objected

"Don&039;t be such a sissy," Sally answered "Where&039;s your sense of adventure? Where&039;s your gumption? Where&039;s your desire to see the seamy underbelly of life?"

Are you harmed, Beloved?

No, but, Alec, you have to leave Sally is evil! She&039;s working with Bael, and she called up the va to be here, and as if that wasn&039;t bad enough, she did sohost anyo invisible

"It&039;s back on the non-Abaddon side of the house," Diarumbled

Alec jerked open one of a set of double doors that led into a grand ballrooeois heart, and now a horrible battleground made up of black and mildew-stained parquet tile that erupted upward in sharp spikes, as if the ground itself couldn&039;t bear its unholy existence The walls were likewise stained, tatters of once beautiful flocked wallpaper hanging in despondent strips, a broken and twisted chandelier drooping alroup of people at the far end that caught and held Alec&039;s attention Two men crouched behind an upturned broken sofa, its wooden claw feet clutching at nothing as an enraged horse snorted and pawed the ground, clearly protecting the two people behind it

"Alec!" Cora screeched, then clapped her hands over her od, I&039;m sorry Now they know you&039;re here

The two er Julian and a Dark One Alec didn&039;t recognize, both turned to look at hiht, Beloved," Alec said with dark intent as he stalked forward toward the two ot to their feet "We have nothing to fear from them They, however, should be extreer asked

"You tookher fueling a rage unlike anything he&039;d known

Alec, I&039;ht They didn&039;t hurt me In fact, they haven&039;t been near us since Sally zapped Ragnor

They took you They will die for that

"You cannot be serious," Cora said, ht for him "It&039;s not really their fault, anyway Well, part of it is, because ouldn&039;t be here if Sally hadn&039;t told the to show up, but really, it&039;s all Sally&039;s fault"

"Did I heartaken in vain?" Sally entered the roo Diamond "I do hope so, because really, how can one call oneself an effective demon lord unless one&039;s naood, you found the Dark Ones"

"S at Sally, a furious look on her face "She&039;s pure evil!"

Siggle "And, you know, I did say I was naughty, not truly evil"

You can&039;t s Sally a girandging ets"

Not that I&039; as sheif you didn&039;t tell her"

Well, hell It sounded so dra Cora behind hier "You will say what you have to say to me, Julian Then I will destroy you"

"Alec - " Kristoff said, sighing as he stepped forward between the two reed, shoving Alec on the back beforearound to his side

He wrapped an ar her light to banish the darkness that threatened to claiain "It is a crime for one Dark One to threaten the life of another&039;s B eloved - "

"We ainst her, nor did we harm her," Julian protested "Give us a little credit, Alec We simply wished to talk to herand you"

"Oh, sure you do!" Cora flung herself in front of him, her arms held wide as if to protect hihable, but he felt in her a determination to save him

You already have, love

Saved you? Your soul, maybe, but there&039;s er? What do you have to say to me that doesn&039;t include a coently but fir Cora back to his side Now is not the time for relationship talk, mi querida

I&039;m a woman - there&039;s always ti an elbow into his side when he spent a few , Alec It&039;s not nice, and besides, they really aren&039;t to bla to say, you&039;d better hold on to it," Sally suddenly interjected, strolling over to theone hip on theuely uncomfortable, trailed after her

"Why&039;s that? " Cora asked "Are you going to do so Bael in to torture us a bit? Burn down hell? Destroy the entire planet? "

"You see?" Sally whispered to Alec with a little nod toward Cora "Anger ood"

Cora sputtered so extremely rude under her breath, and started toward Sally Alec caught her and held her tight against his body "Beloved, I know you are enraged at her - as aood to think about beating her with a two-by-four Nor dropping her in the La Brea tar pits No, not even feeding her to a tank of hungry sharks"

Sally gasped in horror, her eyes huge "Sharks! Cora!"

"It was just a thought," Cora ood one, too, if you ask runtled

"Why should we be quick?" Kristoff asked, clearly curious as to Sally&039;s warning

"And tar pits? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to clean tar off of wool - what? Oh, we&039;re about to have co on the wo to Ulfur "Other than you, dear boy Come over here so I can pet your nice horse"

"Don&039;t do it, Ulfur!" Pia warned "It&039;s some sort of a trap!"

"Honestly, I wouldn&039;t have yourPia a look "Such suspicions!"

Ulfur moved slowly toward her, the horse, now perfectly solid and not in the least bit ghostly, at his side

"What liches? " Alec asked "The lichmaster who lives in the caves nearby?"

"I expect she&039;ll be here, too," Sally said, giving Ragnor a pat on the neck "She&039;s s around, and know he&039;s up to no good, so no doubt she&039;ll follow him here"

"Brother Ailwin!" Pia clutched Kristoff "He&039;ll use Cora and Ulfur! We have to get out of here!"

"Too late," Sally said, waving "Welcoht your entlemen"