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“What you’ll understand soon, Dustin, is that the Lorica takes care of its own When so itself provides What I needed was sufficient space to learn more about you, to see just what kind of man akened when you took a knife to the heart”

I didn’t like where this was going I backpedaled towards the corridor, guessing if anyone would hear me if I shouted for help

“Not so fast” Thea tutted, then held a hand out towards the corridor A shiap, blockingout the sound fro

“What the – Thea, what are you doing?” First that shit about getting stabbed in the heart, now this? I took a running start and ra was as solid as a brick wall I bounced off and crashed to the floor, crumpled into a winded heap

“I wouldn’t have done that,” Thea said, cracking the last of her fingers The rings festooning her hands glea the fires suspended in the ceiling No, wait, they were glowing, of their own accord Great Just great I scrambled to my feet

“Our talents are awakened in tireat stress, Mr Graves,” she said, her tone so business-like that I al to kill h to squeeze it out of you Sha the swell of poe sensed when you died” She held up one hand, her fingers spread loosely “We’ll just have to give the process a little nudge” The space between her palers filled with specks of illu so intensely when it for dully solid It was a sphere, ht

“Is that what I think it is?”

“What do you think it is, Mr Graves?”

“A fireball”

Thea laughed “Not at all It’s a globe of light”

“Oh Phew”

“That explodes on iht it in the sa”

“Fuck”

She hurled the sphere straight for ht struck the ground, exploding the parquet into a shower of wooden tiles and splinters Oh, so they were like arcane grenades Awesoreat

“What the hell are