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I, Edra held the goblet over her head and then slowly she lowered it to pour a measure of the thick blood directly onto the aht very well be dead before Abby ever got herself loose

The blood hit the a filled Dante’s ears, and he pounded his fists futilely against the barrier

"Abby," he rasped

As if sensing his rising panic, Abby gritted her teeth and sliced through the last bit of leather The amulet on her chest see iron off her skin and struggled to sit up

From behind, Dante watched as Edra froze in shock

In her arrogance, she thought that nothing could halt her glorious bid for power Certainly not a ic and no claim to the darker arts

She hadn’t counted on Abby’s stubborn deter he had learned never to underesti her body, Abbyherher danger, the witch leaped backward, avoiding a killing strike

Thankfully the daggerto the floor

More importantly, with her concentration destroyed, the barrier vanished intothe witch to the floor Dante was at Abby’s side, wrenching off the re to collect her in his ar off the table and struggled to maintain her balance "Don’t touch ether "Abby, what’s wrong?"

She wrapped her hands about her waist "I’ave a slow nod Even at a distance he could feel the heat rolling from her body

The Phoenix?"

"Yes" She turned toward the witch on the floor ’The spell has begun"

"Viper, kill her," Dante rasped

"My pleasure"

Lowering his head to sink his fangs into the witch’s neck, Viper gave a low grunt and then astonishingly was flying backward as Edra struggled to sit up In her hand was the a even as Edra lifted her hand to strike at Viper once again

As fast as he moved, however, the blast of poas faster He cursed as he realized that he would never arrive in ti onto Viper, taking the blow in her back and slulare at the witch as uneasily forcing herself to her feet

"You can’t harm me," she panted, perhaps more to reassure herself than to remind Dante of his impotency

"Not yet, but soon I’ll see you in hell"

She gave a wild laugh "The spell has begun No one can stop it now"

He rapidly turned his attention to Abby to discover her on her knees She wasas she rocked back and forth

"God… Abby"

"She can’t hear you The Phoenix has taken control, and soon the Goddess will release the power that I have called forth" The wild laugh caain "She’s about to kill you, vampire"

"No!" With a scream, Abby rose to her feet

Dante stuh the rooht, her pale skin gloith a strange luminescence, and the blue eyes had turned to a brilliant crimson, as if flames were lit behind them Even her hair seemed to float on soan to walk toward the witch

"Beloved Goddess," the witch breathed as she sank slowly to her knees

Dante tried to step forward only to cry out as a wave of heat sla around Abby, oing to burn the house down around the with hi to overwhelm him, Dante forced himself to his knees

"Abby, you must stop--" he rasped

"No" Abby never took her attention off the kneeling witch "This must end now"

Shit He couldn’tthe older woman, Abby held out her hand "Rise"

Ifes" Aardly the witch ed to stand, an expression of adulation on her face "I have waited so long to bathe in your glory To see the full wonder of your powers"

’You shall know my powers to the fullest, Edra"

The words ca to her She had been completely consumed by the spirit within her

"Bless you,fire in Abby’s eyes, the witch stepped slowly forward Dante frowned as Abby wrapped her arms about the woman What the hell was the Phoenix up to?

He heard Viper and the Shalott groaning behind hiaze never wavered from Abby as she closed her eyes and tilted back her head

For ablackness that clutched at hily nowhere, there was a violent explosion

Dante flew backward to land with a jarring i, and he was fairly certain his brain had becoly he wasn’t dead