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But the danger wasn’t over, and no one knew this better than Soleil Orpheline, the squad leader

Not wanting her soldiers to witness her disquiet, she turned her back on her soldiers and faced the doors of the dungeon once more

Let’s consider the facts, she told herself

Tonight was supposed to be a si rid of pranks left by otherworlders They ranged from a witch’s spell for diarrhea to a wizard’s one-day curse of selfiewould find hi as , moderately harmful at times, but that was it

The er

And yet here they were, about to go against the forces of Hell, literally

Granted, imps were the lowest forms of demons, with sub-zero IQ But they were still de and, worse, soulless

Another loud, powerful thud hit the base the peril they were in It had no effect on Soleil, but the squeak of terror from one of her rookies made her mentally flinch

Dear God, I hate asking You for anything, but I think I’ht now

The i their lives against it At the rate they were going, she would have less than three htly

Panic clawed at Soleil’s throat, but her concerns were all for her teaest of her squad was just fifteen years old – the sae she and the others had been when they first had their field assignainst possessed humans, and they had still come back bloodied and bruised

But kids pitted against imps?

It would be a massacre, and their blood would be on Soleil’s hands

Another thud resounded through the baseh the walls of the keep, and a rookie cried out, “I don’t think the doors are going to hold that er”

She turned to her squad ied to keep her voice calm even as whips of her terror flayed her body She was ready to die, had been so for quite some ti doas letting her teaht