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"Well, then" Annabelle cleared her throat "Take care of yourself, Brax"

"You, too And, uh, Annabelle?"

A warh Zacharel’ssus and their stilted goodbye

Zacharel,echoed inside his head I have need of your services You will gather your ar to infiltrate my temple As this battle will take place in the heavens, I will not have to worry about collateral da about his past perforn he was needed, he would not be searching for Jahting demons He’d feared such a moment, and now that fear ate at him with razored teeth

But wasn’t that always the way? Whatever aas all the others

"Zacharel?"

He pulled himself out of hisat hio"

"Uh, Zacharel? What just happened? You were flickering in and out, as if you were here but not here"

"That’s because I was here but not here Part of me ithattacked, and I have been charged with its safekeeping"

Color drained from her cheeks

"Do not worry I will leave the moment the temple is safe, and ill return to earth" Not just because of Annabelle’s bargain, but because he would be desperate to whisk her to safety

"I--" Her mouth floundered open and closed "Thank you"

"You are welcome Now come"

With a final wave to her brother, she closed the distance to Zacharel and wrapped her arms around his neck He ht into the afternoon sky Brax’s shout of, "Take care of yourself, Anna," followed them, and Annabelle had to blink away a sudden tear

The sun was hidden behind gloo velvet Higher and higher they ascended, until the only spots of color ste one way, joy-bringers darting the other, all deterasped

Heand finally reaching a clear patch of air "Cloud!" he shouted "Return to me"

Five seconds passed…ten…twenty, but his home eventually appeared around hier a soft baby-blue; they were black, as slick as oil, as though weeping the essence of evil His stomach twisted He hadn’t expected this, hadn’t known it was possible A cloud had never changed so drastically and so quickly

"What happened?" Annabelle said

"I don’t know It’s dying, perhaps" The demons that attacked must have poisoned it somehow "My bedroohtstand He reached inside the pocket of air and withdrew-- Relief nearly buckled his knees The urn was safe

"Follow ht," he co she requests, and when I return, I will end your suffering" A pang inside his chest Of re time

Annabelle clutched at his robe "Let ainst her; he had to "You have no wings, and carrying you will hinderhere and protecting reatest treasure"

"Bedroom furniture?" she asked drily