Page 18 (1/2)

"Yes"

My insides hurt at the thought "How did theyoutside must have had Eli’s attention; he continued to stare out of the hile he explained "At the grave, Seth and his friends disturbed a vase containing the Gullah ic that kept the Arcoses entos were a hell of a lot more primitive and not as effective as our ic was placed, it stayed as placedfor as long as it lasts There’s no changing it" He looked at ine that Valerian and Victorian fed as soon as they gained enough strength, then beckoned their rescuers"

"The wo the answer

"Yes"

My insides grew icy cold as I thought of the wouy in the alley?"

Eli nodded "Yeah"

I drew a deep breath I also recalled that first , when I’d found Seth asleep and his ide-open "Why didn’t they kill Seth?"

Eli shrugged "The Arcoses are weak They need help subduing victims until they’re fully restored"

I stared, speechless as that infor innocent people to their deaths?" Yanking the towel froers until it hung limp, nearly to my waist I threw the towel down "I can’t believe that"

"You’d better believe it," Eli said harshly, and drew closer "A vampire, even in its weakest for they wish"

We stood now, face-to-face, and yeah--I thought about how easily Eli could manipulatefor the them in, and take them somewhere safe? Why can’t we just kill the Arcoses?" Desperate panic began to seize ain, and I didn’t kno to control it "Why do we have to wait?"

Eli’s hands grasped my shoulders hard, and I noticed for the first ti to say this one last time, and you’d better let it sink into that thick skull While the Arcoses’ physical beings are weak, theirfor them, or Seth and his friends They could coine--and with just a single, solitary thought They wouldn’t even have to be in the same room with them" His eyes bored into mine "They would do some messed-up shit and do it just because the Arcoses said to do it Probably already have"

Mycould do to another, and I felt sick at the i into the clearest pair of light blue eyes I’d ever seen "What?"

"We watch, and ait Right now, Valerian and Victorian are too weak to ot Seth and his friends"

I stiffened, getting ?"

The look on Eli’s face reeked of irritation "No We wait; atch We try to defuse as many situations as possible They cannot be destroyed until their physical bodies are fully restored" He looked hard at me "It’s just the way it is"

"Do they know you’re here?" I asked, and pulled away as thousands of worries and questions stormed my brain "Do they know of the contract?"