Page 42 (1/2)

"Agatha Christie"

"Ah"

"Ithoeary she was The past few days had taken their toll on her body "At the very least it couldn’t hurt"

He gave a slow nod of his head "True enough Where do we start this review?"

Abby blinked It always caught her off guard to discover Dante’s willingness to listen to her opinion No one, no one had ever done that before

"I suppose with Selena," she said hesitantly ’You said you thought she was acting strangely before… the explosion? To be honest, I just thought she was crazy"

He narrowed his gaze as he remembered back "She was o fro me and then disappear into her roo the witches?"

’Yes"

"Did she get the spell booJks frouess"

Abby bit her lip as she attee path of events

"What sort of spell would she be working on? Was she afraid of soaze flashed over her "At the ti matters to consider"

The heat returned, with interest

Dariht have stumbled onto the wizard and his followers," he said "If they sensed his power, they would have taken steps to protect the the frustration that simmered within him ’You don’t think that’s the answer"

He studied her a "

’Tellyou"

He shifted restlessly "If they orried about the wizard, they wouldn’t have felt the need to hide it from me More than likely I would have been sent in to deal with the threat"

"And?"

"And the spell you were chanting was obviously intended to harm demons, not humans"

She reached out to touch his ar her, but she had forgotten to confess the wrenching agony that had drilled through her just ht to an end

"Maybe not"

"What do you mean?"

"When I was in the ether, his fingers reaching out to touch her face as if needing to reassure hirih me"

’The Phoenix?"

She tried to re "I don’t know There was just pain, and then the deone"

His frustration deepened as he turned to pace across the landing "Thisto have to be a little more specific," she said wryly

"We still don’t knohat the witches were up to, who killed Selena, or what the bloody hell the wizard has to do with all this"

"You’re saying we don’t know squat"

His lol made the hair on the back of her neck prickle "There’s a connection We just have to figure it out" Reaching out, he took her hand and pulled her down the hall "We need to find those dah the darkened house, only pausing when they reached the hall where Selena had hidden her safe

Dante was intent on the scents that filled the air when he felt Abby dig in her heels He turned to discover her peering uneasily through the shadows

’You’re sure the wizard is gone?" she demanded

"One way to find out," he whispered directly in her ear "You go first"

She rolled her eyes "Very funny"

"If the wizard was near, ould hear hi for mercy," he assured her "Viper doesn’t screw around when he’s on the hunt"

She sent hiave rueful gri used to

"I se"

"It’s not me is it?"