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What fe-term?

What, he was possessed by Doubt now?

Thump

"Sorry," Anya muttered "Who’d I hit?"

"I need--" Strider’s breath sawed in and out, shallow and raspy, pained "Help Help me Please"

"Soon," Anya promised, then cooed at hi Scrape

"Well, well, well What do we have here?" a voice boomed from what Gideon assu to anyone he knew "Is it rew eerily quiet, until Anya beat a hasty path back to Lucien, her heels clacking against the tiled floor

Lights flickered on, chasing away the shadows In that ainst the spots clouding his vision, seeing his friends for the first time in forever Lucien was splayed across the floor, his head resting in Anya’s lap as the goddess clutched hi eerily Strider was on his side, clutching his stomach, knees drawn to his chest, and Alazed

No sign of Hunters, though The ere still blocked, the door still closed

"I wondered who had tripped my silent alarm Had to take care of your friends in Buda before I could return here, though" Cruel laugh "We’ve been hoping you’d come here, ever since that article was published I see our denial of this facility’s existence had the desired effect and convinced you there was no way this could be a trap"

With the sudden quiet in his h his ed to someone he knew, after all Dean Stefano Second in command of the Hunters, answerable only to that sick fuck, Galen Stefano hated Sabin for stealing Darla, his wife; said Darla would still be alive if the Lords and the evil they housed were in hell where they belonged

Stefano’s evil knew no bounds He’d sent Danika, an innocent, to spy on the to use her to capture--and torture--the Lords one by one Not that his plan had worked But he’d sent her in, and then tried to bohtened Gideon’s stoe and sorrow as Stefano’s words took root and spread Had to take care of your friends Understanding dawned Hunters had been to Budapest They’d fought--and they’d won, or they wouldn’t be here now Sabin would never have let them escape

Where was Sabin now? Until the box was found, Hunters wouldn’t kill the Lords, believing their demons would escape and causeto his feet proved difficult, but Gideon did it Swayed, but ht All but Strider did the sa their weapons, ready to do as necessary despite their infire "I dare you"

Stefano gave another laugh, this one genuinely amused "Why should I? I can starve you, watch you waste away I can poison your air, watch you suffer And I can do all of those things without ever touching your filthy bodies" There at the end, his voice had hardened, eagerness dripping froo," Lucien called "She’s done nothing to you"

"Hell, no" Anya shook her head, pale hair flying in every direction "I stay here"

"Hoeet," Stefano said ly "She wants to stay with her demon Well, I think I’ll remove her Just for you, Death I don’t think you’ll like what I do to her, though"

Snarling, Lucien crouched, preparing to engage His semiautoe, every inch Death "Try"

That’s when a boy, around eleven years old, walked through the far wall as though he were a ghost Gideon’s eyes widened, histhe extraordinary event

"Come with me," the boy said to Anya "Please"