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I fought the treil in the air Fear would make me careless; worry would kill us all I had to be resolute I whispered the Latin word for stea rush My whole body eak, and I alainst the wall Shit, I’m not ready for this I’m not trained I don’t kno ive each spell It’s a wonder I didn’t cook us

But my intent had been clear, so I produced excess volume, not heat, and the room filled like a sauna I’d hoped the shades would have a hard ti us if we blended with the a Chance an opportunity to recover and Greydusk the tiht

For my part, I scrambled back toward the door The stea, and it would be the height of stupidity to wander into it, giving a shade a chance at me Better to hold still and trust in my people My men would win this war for me They existed to serve me, after all

The ht, I froze, despite the heat washing over my skin Damp heat Sticky And I was cold as ice That couldn’t have come from me I didn’t feel that way I didn’t There was no war I wasn’t trying to win anything

Just to find Shannon and go home

When we had a free minute, I really needed to talk to the I” Clearly it was some kind of transformation, but would I become a demon or what? It was a little too otten his power over demons The stories weren’t clear Kel had told els, which , but if the demons were on board with my arrival—so I knew into question

Muffled noises reached ate It took every iota of self-restraint, and it felt like forever before Chance stumbled out of the cloud and toward ainst his chest

“Nuuessed

He nodded

“It wears off” I raised ht, Greydusk?”

An enorht Horrible Monstrous, even, but the arht capable of destroying even shades Whatever this creature was, clearly the deained the ability to take its foraze, it slipped into its own forhed a little with relief at being permitted to resume its natural lines

“Well enough The hide on this Sraith was thick enough that the drain takes longer I told you all would be well”

Though I wasn’t sure this would work, I gave it a shot Not a spell whose forms and rituals I’d memorized My mother’s char without a license, practicing deick here Best to see what I could acco the athaain It envelopedand unpleasant, and it tried to sertips, where I held the blade Then I whispered a single word and let it go More delicately, as if it were a silken rope lowering an inch at a ti away the re steae of puking or passing out, as I had when I’d summoned the steam

Greydusk nodded “Better control Do you lack training, Binder?”

Since it was on ht with the Imaron “Precious little I haven’t been able to access ”

“Interesting There was a block?”

“No I think her poas held in reserve for me in her pendant, but she died, and Maury had the necklace in his lair, so I didn’t get witchy right away”

“So you came into the power late I understand”

“We should wrap up,” Chance said “And take a look around before so else pops up”

“Agreed” I turned to Chance, waiting for him to find the path

There had to be so of Shannon’s here Maybe she had been held nearby at first, and then they uards She could still be captive in the building somewhere

Spurred by that unlikely possibility, I prodded Chance, who still looked dazed “Can you work?”

The chill effect just about froze your brain, so maybe he couldn’t

He closed his eyes and turned, but eventually he sighed and shook his head “I’ now”

“Because of the shade? Or because as here isn’t anymore?”

“Not sure The feeling is fuzzy now and…far Like it’s ”

“You ht the shades?” My heart dropped all the way to the pit of my stomach

If they kneatch out for us now, it would be ten times harder to find her next time They could ward off Chance’s abilities, ot close I saw the week going by in a flash of heartbreaking near misses, and I curled my hand into an impotent fist