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Viper gave a nod as he flowed to his feet and tugged the reluctant Shalott off the floor

"We’ll have to finish our game later, pet," he murmured as he moved directly to the door nearly hidden in the pantry "Business first, I fear"

Chapter 25

It seemed a sha and didn’t have one psychopathic witch or ra zombie

And best of all, the darkness didn’t have the throbbing pain that she could feel lurking in the back of her head

Unfortunately, along with the throbbing in the back of her head was also the ever-present sense of Dante Although they were separated, she could feel his cold fury as he battled to make his way to her side

Until he could reach the base the Phoenix to perfor pain that seized her head, Abby wrenched open her eyes to discover she was strapped onto the slab of marble

Somehow she wasn’t a bit surprised

How sick was that?

She bit back a groan and then like any fool who ever found theainst the leather straps that held her down

It was a futile effort, of course The straps were not overly tight, but they would hold her Still, her ainst her waist and reer that was in its sheath Her shirt had ed to hide the weapon, and thankfully the witch hadn’t thought to check her

Now if she could get her arms free to use it

Covertly she scooted to one side As she expected, the strap bit into her left arm, but it eased the pressure on the other On the point of discovering if she could wiggle her arm free, she was halted as a shadow fell over the table

"Ah, so you have awakened" Edra s herself to hold perfectly still, Abby glared into the lizard eyes

’You ritted

"It is too late The spell will soon be cast"

The witch stepped closer, holding what looked to be a silver goblet Abby shrank against the cold oblet, but she was fairly certain she didn’t want to find out

At her movement, the candles flickered and her attention was captured by an un lump in the middle of the floor

Her heart halted as she blinked, and then blinked again

It wasn’t a lump It was the body of a woman with short black hair and the sort of Goth

And very, very dead

Lying on the hard floor, her eyes ide as if caught in eternal surprise and her ash that marred her throat and allowed her thick blood to pool onto the dirt below her chin

Abby gasped as she struggled against the rising nausea

"Holy hell Did you kill her?" she croaked

"Such powerful ic demands blood"

Abby reluctantly turned back to the woman poised above her

"You’re crazy You’re stark raving mad"

A flare of color stained her pasty cheeks ’You will shut yourof the sacrifices I have endured," she hissed "For three centuries I have devoted my life for this moment While Selena pampered and preened and surrounded herself with luxury, I hid in the shadows and protected her I faced the evil and kept it at bay I looked into the heart of darkness to preparean end to those ould destroy the Phoenix It is I ill save the world"

Abby shifted even farther to the side, further loosening her ar with the lunatic Whatever sanity she one

"And so you deserve to slice open the throat of soirl?" she dery to notice her odd wiggles

"Her death will serve a higher purpose" There was not a flicker of remorse "It is a fate we should all aspire to"

"I noticed you didn’t offer yourself up as the sacrifice"

The goblet trembled in Edra’s hands "Shut up, you filthy bitch You have defiled yourself with a vah luck I’h teach you sole

"Better bullies than you have tried"