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At her side, Santiago pulled his sword fro the shadows "I left my truck hidden outside town"

She rolled her eyes Of course he would have a truck A heavy bully of a vehicle with a too-powerful engine that wouldn’t be stopped by a mere roadblock Her lips thinned with annoyance at her unruly thoughts

"After that"

He shrugged, his gaze continuing to search the thick line of trees that bordered the road

"North"

"North? That’s it?"

"That’s all I got"

"Are you being deliberately vague?"

"No, I only have a faint sense of Gaius," he explained "I told you, once I’m closer I’ll be able to pinpoint his location"

She believed him, even if she didn’t want to The bond she’d foro, but she did reue i several nights with Santiago as they searched for Gaius wasthan she wanted to admit

"We could travelher a startled glance "No fuc--" He bit off his crude response, but his expression reers to touch the war heart "It would be ainedto risk it"

She tilted her head to the side "And that’s the only reason?"

"You wantfrorowled, clearly still pissed at the last ti "Fine It freaks o couldn’t laugh at hi traits But because with this

"Perhaps it’s for the best"

His eyes darkened with suspicion "Why do you say that?"

"The medallion that Gaius possesses is connected to ers to drop from the metal that always felt alive Even sentient "I can’t be certain he wouldn’t sense me if I use it"

His pace slowed, as if he’d been struck by a sudden thought "Have you used it since you returned to this world?"

"It’s necessary to travel through the Veil, but I haven’t called on its powers since I’ve been here Why?"

"It seems more than a coincidence that Gaius would abandon his lair only a night or two before we arrived"

Ah Sht very well have sensed her approach if she’d used the medallion Instead it had been Siljar who’d opened a portal a few miles from the house

Which meant that she had no answer for why Gaius had abandoned his lair

"There was a scent of humans in the area," she speculated aloud

He nodded "The witch?"

"Her scent was distinct and fading," Nefri said,aodd about the witch’s scent She was more than she seeo "Within the past day"

Santiago accepted her claiument He was one of the few men who didn’t seem intimidated by her superior powers

"How many?" he instead demanded

"Impossible to say, but there were more than a dozen"

He considered the various possibilities "A search party?"

"That was o unnoticed"

"Typical," he growled "If they’d just waited a few days ould have had Gaius cornered"

"Maybe," she hedged, unwilling to fool herself that it would be simple The Oracles wouldn’t have sent her if it was just a case of finding Gaius and asking hi nicely