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I look over at Alex "Is that true?"

Alex shrugs "I have no idea how the mark works, other than it’s pure evil and the person who has it has to have evil in" He trails off, recalling that in another time I had the mark

"It’s okay I’ve already co, pretending it’s no big deal "And I think I knohere it comes from now--from my father"

"You sure about that?" Nicholas questions with amuse why Alex gets so frustrated with hi, but it looks aith his aro and stay here and I’ll tell you"

I tread with caution "If we do that, then hoe know you’re telling the truth and how can we trust you? You don’t have a very good track record"

A grin expands across his face "Guess you’ll just have to take that risk"

Dammit Why does the one person who seems to have the answers have to be a very obnoxious faerie/Foreseer that loves twisting things into riddles andcomplicated?

I exchange a look with Alex and Aislin "What do you guys think we should do?"

"I don’t know…do you think we can trust him?" Aislin asked Alex ariness

He folds his arst lance down at the faint scar on et an idea I extend my hand out in front of me, palm up "I have an idea," I say then look at Nicholas "Would you be willing to do a Blood Pro harmful to anyone and that you would tell us e need to know in exchange for your freedo "No fking way," he says, at the sairl"

"Why not?" I ask Alex, loweringto do or anything and it’ll help us make sure this all works out the way that ant it to"

"Blood Pro, Gemma" Alex frowns as he traces the scar on the palm of his hand "The promise is unbreakable--you can’t take it back And if you say the wrong thing, you can end upa promise you didn’t intend to? Or is it that you just want to take it back?"

He looks taken aback "Why would you say that?"

I shrug indifferently "Well, it’d ht now for you, wouldn’t it?"

He steps closer to ue slips out of his les for words "I’d still fking hate what’s going onin my entire life" He takes another step toward ainst each other "What I feel for you isn’t based on so other thantoward forbidden territory, about to juh I desperately want hi he can’t take it back

"Okay, we’ll have to be really careful then e e the subject "You tellmoment with hurt in his eyes before he shoves it all down and moves away from me "Even with the Blood Promise, if my father shows up, Nicholas will more than likely still have to do what he asks since I’m pretty sure the Mark of Malefiscus is uess we’ll have to make sure your father doesn’t find us then," I say "I think it’s worth the risk to get some answers, Alex"

Alex is unconvinced, but I already have made up my mind and turn to Nicholas "Okay, you and I will make a Blood Promise I’ll promise you can stay here with us, and you’ll promise that you’ll answer all of my questions truthfully And, you won’t harot it?"

Nicholas considers what I said then a grin slowly creeps up on his face "I want one "

"No way," I say firmly "That’s the deal Take it or leave it"

He nods his head at Aislin "I want Witch Girl over there to try and find a way to get this mark off my arm"

My head snaps in Aislin’s direction "Can you do that?"

Aislin ravels a strand of her hair around her finger "I don’t know…I ht be a spell that could reht not be powerful enough to actually pull it off Plus,the spell to do it even more complicated"

"You know other witches, don’t you?" Nicholas says in a condescending tone "Talk to them--see if they kno"

"Maybe I could see if sooing to take tienerally go"

"We’re talking black ic?" Nicholas asks

"More or less," Aislin replies and Nicholas seems twistedly pleased by this

"Good, then we have a deal" He s his head, arms folded, muscles taut, but he doesn’t utter a word "Okay, we have a deal," I say, wondering when I becaroup I stick my hand in Alex’s direction "Do you have a knife on you? So I can cut my hand and make the promise"

Still frustrated, he stuffs his hand into the pocket of his jeans and retrieves a sood idea"

I take the knife from him and flip open the blade I try to keep a steady hand as I aim the knife at hs, finally giving up on being stubborn, then takes the knife from me, and then holds my hand in his He draws a line across the scar onive him my other hand like he asks "Can we not do the proled down so I can’t see his expression "No, you can do that, but I don’t want to do it on the scar that was fro he has ever said tothat’s bitterly sweet

"Man, you two are going to kill each other quickly, aren’t you?" Nicholas relare as he touches the cold blade toto cut your hand and his," he tells me "Then you’ll press your palht?"

I nervously nod "Alright"