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On nal, he projected to the other half, we attack

To Thane, he added, "You, Xerxes and Bjorn will escort three deht, but he was out of his sick bed "Find out what you can from them I’ll join you when the temple has been fully cleansed"

Thane slapped him on the shoulder This was the first ti "Consider it done" With that, the angel left Zacharel to gather his friends

He shot another glance at his cloud--he just couldn’t help himself Still no de over his desertion of her? Worrying after his health?

You are a warrior Act like one He blanked his mind, raised his hand and created his sword of fire In a blink, his soldiers had their swords raised, as well No one broke rank, acting before the signal was given That was new, too

Zacharel’s war cry blasted through the heavens "Now!"

The angels swooped down, Zacharel included The de He hacked his way through the over the pure alabaster anddown, down, his opponents dying with…sain he looked to his cloud, but still the demons stayed away from it Perhaps he should check on Annabelle She--

A heavy weight sla him end over end He lost his hold on the sword, and it vanished He crashed into the botto out The organs had been punctured--because a pair of horns had e poison was sprayed directly into his body

Distraction killed He knew that Oh, but he knew that, and noould pay His s to kick, but the lileefully and shouted for his friends Soon,at hi he could do to stop them

Are you still at the te reply, indicating the swiftness of the warrior’s motions as he spoke

I’m at the bottom of the steps Help…me He’d never had to request aid before, and that he had to here and noas huroans of pain sounded around him Teeth were ripped out of hian to collapse around him

"Don’t worry I’ve been where you are" Thane re any minion who dared approach "The toxin should wear off in a few h he’d been thrown into the fires of hell At least he could still see his cloud…a cloud that now had three spots of color in the center Dark, bloo…red?

Red Blood Annabelle’s blood

A de toward the earth like arrows

The cloud, he mentally shouted at Thane My cloud Inside Annabelle Help her!

Thane didn’t stick around to ask questions, but darted up Instantly, theon the sidelines, too afraid to attack with the warrior there, swarue in half, so forcefully did he strain He wasn’t surprised when his shoulder bone popped froe to free himself from the taint of the poison? No

His face was clawed His chest was slashed His legs were sliced The demons were too happy, too distracted to notice when his ers wagged, then his toes, then finally, the toxin dissipated coed intoin a circle, cutting through everyone who clustered around his and bolted into the air Almost there… "Annabelle!" When he attempted to enter the cloud, he ricocheted backward, bones vibrating from impact

Thane flew around froet through without killing your ho his sword through the blackened ooze This was not the ined, but it was a death nonetheless He had to reach Annabelle Instantly a dooras created, the edges sizzling, the fire growing, spreading Zacharel leveled out and zipped to his bedroom

Horror filled hihtstand, and even formed little pools all over the floor--but there was no body No urn

Thane approached his side "She is stronger than she appears Whatever happened, she will recover"

"Yes" Would she, though? A vicious battle had clearly taken place here "Annabelle," he shouted

No response

Doing his best not to panic, he searched room after room as the cloud continued to burn fron of her She had simply disappeared "She’s not here How can she not be here?"

"Could she have…fallen?" Sympathy laced Thane’s voice

No No! Zacharel arrowed out of the cloud and toward land, Thane right behind him