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The Dehed softly and returned to the table She slid onto the stone seat again and surveyed ether “There is no price, little one The poison is still there It will still kill you” My ain when she shot lance “I did more for you in that one action than anyone has ever done for you in your entire life The fool who froze the seru its veno Her words surrounded el He could have healed you, but he didn’t” Her eyebrow arched “How curious And was this angel friend or foe?” She leaned backward slightly, resting against the back of the stone chair

Apprehension laced hts This see vision This demon pulled me froot the better of el? And what did you do? It doesn’t feel the same”

She tilted her head and leaned forward Her black gloved fingers tapped twice, “Residue Angel residue leaves a… taste” Her nose crinkled as she said the word “I took that from you, so I could fix it He left the venom crystalized, so that you could not use your de you He was very clever It ell masked But I am too old and too powerful to be fooled so easily I have not healed you, nor will I The poison is there by your own hand and none but you can take it away” She rose from her chair and walked towards me slowly Her eyes slid over my body as I leaned on the table

I clutchedwhite I didn’t turn I looked straight ahead wondering what the hell Lorren was doing He didn’t see Eric That made no sense

When she said I could heal hed at her words The sound was hollow and callused, “I can take it away?” I looked up at her, and she nodded I could see nothing of her face, but I didn’t have to know that she was lying I answered, “I would have, if it were possible”

She laughed, “Foolish girl You cannot put anyone higher than yourself, lest you die When you destroy Kreturus, you can put everything the way you want it, but until then—you aste away The venom will slowly kill you fro venoel told you He li the sapphire seru more”

I flexed aze said she noticed the movement, no own billowing around her ankles The light from the false sun above hid her face in complete darkness

“Why did you call me here?” I turned lass?” I rose in my chair, stood, and looked her in the eye

“To teach you to use your power,” she replied “What other reason could there possibly be?” She tilted her head back as her red lips pulled into a tight smile Silence passed between us

There was no way forall ofthat I could feel infrout twist into knots Collin warned me not to use my powers, but I kneould have to if I wanted to defeat Kreturus

My eyes narrowed to slits as I took a step closer to her “Why would you help me?”

“I believe it is exceedingly expected for dee” She pressed the fingertips of her black gloves together and turned Her gown flowed as she her than her ankle Before the gauzy fabric fell back into place, I saw pale hu above her boot My eyes flicked back to her face before she saw me She was human The Demon Princess didn’t notice the flick of my eye She looked up atto learn?”

I leaned across the table, staring at her This wo for me This Demon Princess that was supposed to be dead sucked me into this place for one reason—to kill Kreturus Itwith a de it She wanted to teach me, and I needed to learn One concern rose to the top of my mind—if I killed Kreturus, and this woman’s dark powers exceededher fro it? A plan formed haphazardly in my mind I was a few inches from her shrouded face “No,” I breathed, and she flinched “The question is will you teachyou know Will you teach it to me fully? Will you teachintothe road I was about to choose had a steep price, and once chosen—there was no going back That was the only thing I could think of that would keep her fro to kill me later She was powerful and somehow she outsmarted Kreturus, and survived his wrath

The Deloved hands on the table in front of her She leaned forward and s pointed eyeteeth behind her red lips “Do I sense a bargain, young Ivy Taylor?” Her words were light and playful

I leaned back inmy arm over the back “Yes, you do” This was the most powerful demon there ever was, next to Kreturus If I had her skills with my power, I could beat hiree to teach ain would force her to divulge the stores of her knowledge, all of the you knoithout exception”