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“Why didn’t you stop them?” Dervish asks

“They orking for so orders from a superior I wanted to expose their partner I felt that was h I hoped to do that as well”

“No prizes for guessing who their boss was,” Dervish griured, covered in pus and blood?”

Kirilli nods and shivers “They were in regular contact, but I couldn’t get a fix on who they were talking to From what I overheard, it sounded like there were no imminent plans to open theTheyfor an order to act

“They either kneas eavesdropping and said that to fool e of plan Either way, they opened theearlier today About twenty deuests I ed to shieldthely

“You did all you could,” Sharmila says kindly “You are a spy, not a warrior Besides, Disciples never fight when the odds are stacked against theuilty”

Gratitude sweeps across Kirilli’s face “I expected theto close after a few ic in the air than I’ve ever experienced The de They took most of the people below deck Maybe the sun bothered them and they wanted to do their work in the shade”

“No,” Beranabus grunts “Lodestones need blood They were feeding it”

“What’s a lodestone?” Kirilli asks but Beranabus waves at hies—re to co before you lot arrived that wo crawled up from below” He shudders “I wasn’t sure if she was human or Demonata I’m still not certain”

“I doubt if she knows herself anymore,” Beranabus says softly

“She barked orders at the deoes on “Then they retreated through theand the wo, htily pleased with themselves, but she turned on thehed as they screamed for mercy Told them they were fools to trust the word of a monster She lay down and ed in their juices when they were dead, then went below deck That’s when I climbed into the lifeboat”

“Interesting,” Beranabus murmurs Then he winks at Sharmila “This definitely stinks of a trap”

“So ill leave?” Sharerly

B

eranabus chuckles “I’ve walked into more traps over the centuries than I can remember The De but they haven’t got the better oftheir surprise I’ll blast a hole in it so big, you could sail this ship through”