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“What, then, is your purpose?” it asked

“A trade,” she said, closing her eyes and breathing slowly to alleviate the lancing pain in her skull “My sister has been kidnapped Her captor demands the Eye”

“Ah, it is he, no doubt, ishes to raze civilizations” It nodded, as if that explained everything “Very well, pick up the case and let’s go Chop chop I’”

“But we can’t just give you to the kidnapper He’ll use you,” she exclaimed

“That would be the point of my existence”

She turned to Mick, searching for a voice of reason “We can’t possibly take hi this on the world”

“Then take responsibility,” said the demon equably “Bind with me, use me to free your sister, and have control ofas an existence, butin a vault for the last seven years”

Gods help her, she considered it For a few longit on the son of a bitch who had taken Liza But then she’d be no better than he And she’d be stuck bound to a deiven her paternity, was likely to be a very, very long time

She shook her head “No That’s not an option”

“It seems, then,” said the demon, “that we are at an impasse”

~~

Judging by the rhythainst the door of the vault, the zoet through the slab of steel, but still it shook in its frareat impact Uneasy, Mick looked away from the door He didn’t want to think about what lay between the out

The ground above rumbled

His gaze shot to Sophie Her face was strained, and blood trickled down from her nose

“Sophie? You’re bleeding”