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Then the crowd parts and Stephan coazes at the Death Walkers’ bodies all over the floor and then at ed since the last ti both annoyed and i the icy floors

I re until he’s within sword’s reach before I take a stab at hith is nothing but a nificant

"You know, you’re a very hard girl to track down," he says "I send a faerie to find you, but he up and disappears I’d try to find you myself, track you down and coht now thanks to the ive ain, like he did in the Wastelands, which hasif he’s oblivious to the fact that he’s captured et ht to ly "How can I get ahold ofand traces the tip along the scar on his cheek, circling aroundyou don’t understand" He gives a drarins "I alin"

Yep, stuck on repeat I check behind me, relieved to find that Laylen has freed my mother fro back and forth as she hugs her knees to her chest I need to get us out of here Somehow

"I wouldn’t put so much trust in people" Stephan says "You never knohat secrets they could be hiding froreat liars, especially when it co themselves"

"And you would be the expert on that, wouldn’t you?" I carry his intiaze with confidence

He stops in front of me "I’" He looks behind me at my mother on the floor her eyes unexpectedly vacant of emotion "Should I tell her? Or would you like to, Jocelyn?"

She says nothing and Laylen shifts his weight uneasily I discretely point at Aleesa, et closer to me I need to foresee us out of here Now

"Ask her what’s on her wrist," Stephan says to rin "Go ahead Ask yourfrom you"

I don’t have to look I think deep down I already know "No… there’s no way," I say in denial

Laylen bends over and jerks up the sleeve of le outlining by red symbol branded in her flesh on her arht in front of me "It’s not real…"

"She’s had it forever," Stephan tells ot everyone to do what I asked? The only ones I didn’t mark were the ones who couldn’t be marked" He frowns "The one’s whose blood is pure from evil"

I think about Alex Aislin Laylen Myself Blood pure from evil I know I can be marked, but what about them What if one of the to get the hell out of here

Stephanevery ahter She was always a fighter… it’s her gift, you know--her Keeper’s gift She always s difficult for me, which is part of the reason why I sent her to The Underworld I couldn’t even su The Underworld has weakened her, though It’s tainted her blood, whichher to co" He looks over athe’s created "Itat the leash a little"

"Okay, this conversation is getting a little tooat Laylen who has Aleesa now and ," I tell Stephan "Just say it Quit ra up the sleeves of his shirt, still grinning A sht will turn out, especially withskills But the other part of me knohat needs to be done So with one swift dive, I slide across the icy floor, slipping between the Death Walkers’ legs and into lides into horabs onto Aleesa and then extend a hand out toher behind

Stephan’s elation pluers like sand "Get her!" he orders to the Death Walkers and they begin to close in on us, sucking away any heat left in the air

But I blink one

Chapter 16

Alex and Aislin are drinking coffee and having a heated conversation about so roo out the coffee table, breaking two of the legs off and cracking the top in half Coffee spills all over the floor and Aislin gasp in alars and arms from Laylen and Aleesa and scramble to my feet "We have to leave," I say "Now" I bend down to eye level with my ?"

She treainst her chest "I’m so sorry, Gemma I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t"

I didn’t want apologies right now I need to knoe are safe "I need to know if you told Stephan where ere hiding"

She didn’t answer, because she couldn’t

"Shit" I start to turn to Alex for help but feel an unfa through e of energy potently throughon?" Alex rounds the broken table towardnear the end table with her arms cradled around her head "And who the hell is she?"

"She’s just someone we found in the base to be a huge distraction And we need to focus on getting soht now"

He questions me with a crook of his brow "Okay, well then explain e need to leave in such a rush?"

I snatch hold esture at the mark on her wrist "Because of that"

His jaw nearly hits the floor "What the… did he just do that to her?"

I shake s her head in sha later, okay? I think she told hi so we need to move before he shows up here well, when he can I’ he still has to stay away from us for, but I don’t want to take any chances"

He starts ripping the place apart, pulling out weapons he hid all over the house "Alright, everyone, we’re going Aislin, grab whatever you need to, but no clothes or stupid shit like that"