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"After a lifeti to defend humanity, after all the sacrifices Ithe hen I should have been cha!"
"Dad, no! Why does it have to be one or the other?"
He floated to his feet with an eerie fluidity "It's beco light "They have to be destroyed!"
"Listen to what you're saying! Destroy mankind? Don't be like this, justdon't"
As if he hadn't heard her, he said, "There are only two people in the world that I love, and now you are both immortal This is all meant to be!"
She was almost too afraid to ask: "Who's the other one?"
"Declan Chase, the Blademan He's a son to er, knew he had Lorean blood in him" In a fond tone, he said, "I raised hiht before I did Now he's a champion of the Lore I'll take you to him I want you to meet"
"Why would I ever?"
"With you by ht"
When she gazed blankly at him, Dad said, "Before my epiphany, I had his ferin "He was violently displeased"
"You think?" MacRieve too had been studied
"But that was before I discovered the true path!" He was getting worked up again He of the stiff upper lip was unraveling "With your help, we can convince Declan to join us To start a new Order! My daughter and enerals"
Who are you? "I don't knohat's scarier-your insane plans or the fact that you think I'll be on board with them"
"I will convince you Iblood all over his chin "The three of us will lead the charge-to purge the earth of the weak!"
Insane As she stared at his semi-familiar face, she realized her dad had ceased to be the last night she'd seen hiiven her the book
It had been his deathbed gift
This being was not her father, not Dustin Todd, the devoted dad who'd cheered her pattering around the yard with a miniature soccer ball Her eyes watered This was Commander Preston Webb
My dad's dead
"With these neers, I can usher in a new era," he said with th, and a fey's speed I'll be able to harvest nourish like a Valkyrie I already have a va's memories-from blood, but have no aversion to the sun I can trace over the entire world"
"You et away fro "Did you kill my mother?"
His expression didn't change, even as he nodded "I loved Fiore,Yet she filled me with doubt, made me questionthe monstrous ones was relatively easy It was far uard the innocent-faced ones, the beautiful ones They called to our sympathy" He shook his head "And then she tried to take you from me"
"Probably because you would've killed me if I'd tested out as a Lorean!"
"No! I wasn't ready to accept the Lore for her-but I was for you Part of the reason that I chose to take that capsule was because I knew you were going to transition"
That hyped-up blood Even with MacRieve's new strength, he et this being out of here before MacRieve returned "You have to go Do you understand whose home this is?"
"It belongs to the Lykae froe-not to the death, of course; we're going to need all our nued lips "How do you think I found you?"
Chapter Fifty-One
We vowed no' to tell you anything"
"What the hell?" Will snapped, wishing he could throttle Ronan over the phone "My brother's ?"
The boy said, "Munro heard about these warlocks ere turning hu them"
Will cursed There was a reason Lykae never turned hu creatures "The warlocks are called Those Best Forgotten, no?" He was familiar with that sect Around each Accession, they created armies of Lykae on their home plane of Quondam
"That's them! Some real bad dudes They sacrifice ny-"
"Boy!"
"Right Anyway, so Munro and Madadh and six others were going to raid the lair and free some neolves They had a nyotten's defenses It was the night of the full moon, so it should've been a snap Before he left, Munro told me and Ben that you already had more on your plate than you can handle We were no' to tell anyone of this-but especially no' you-unless they didn't return by today"
Will had known so with Munro after there'd been no response to his last e: Munro, I need to speak with you Where the hell are you? I went to the bluidy Ubus Realm! No shite, can you believe it? Chloe has relatives there They've honor, and they're strong Ach, brother, you'll no' believe the things I've seen and learned Call me back
"Then this was a set-up" To what end? Why risk an eight-Lykae raid?
Ronan said, "Lachlain, Garreth, and Bowen are all anize a full-scale assault No' less than a hundred Happy Accession, you knohat I mean?"
"Tell Lachlain and the others that I'll be there tonight"
"You bringing Chloe?" Ronan asked
"If I can help it, she'll never leave my side"
"Good man! See you later"
Will hung up the phone and bellowed, "Lass, we need to leave Now! Munro's in a spot!"
No answer
"Chloe?"
He inhaled for her scent, past the fragrance of the sera tree and the damp of the old stone-
Caught it Wait, that canna be right Will ss: Lykae, vampire, demon, even Valkyrie
He took off in a sprint, barreling headlong for his mate
Now, beast Noe earn our keep
Chloe gave a cry when the double doors to the courtyard blasted open, flying off their hinges
MacRieve charged out, fangs bared, claws flared An awing sight
With a deafening roar, he lunged through the air at Webb Impact! MacRieve tackled him so hard that the twothem like a tiller
Stone rained in all directions
Webbhishis windpipe, his other hand raised
Webb dug his claws into MacRieve's are a Lykae's hold
Just as MacRieve was about to swipe his glinting black claws through his prey, Chloe cried, "It's him, MacRieve! It'sWebb"
MacRieve stayed his handhis beast before her eyes Voice rough, he said, "I doona understand this"
She answered, "He's turned himself into a mix of creatures"
"Tell me what you want me to do It'll be done"
He'd said he would give up his quest for retribution against Webb, but to see him shake off his hatred and ferocity like this for her
Chloe's eyes watered onceher the choice
Though she'd accepted her dad's death and knew this wasn't her father, she didn't want MacRieve to ever regret killing her "sire"
"Let hio"