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“Not fair,” I grunted “We didn’t know Didn’t steal from you”
“Why, never to worry, nephili There are other ways for Mammon to profit froer of concern”
My blood chilled as I wrenched ht in the eye I knehere this was going, and I didn’t like it
“You’ve tried before,” I said, “and you can keep trying, but you’ll never drag erie, Mammon”
The Prince of Greed laughed, the sound of it filling the rooht the walls were treh nobles of the infernal courts Mammon wonders if you would have the confidence to speak to the other princes so brazenly” The de him a pointed look “Especially if you knew of their tremendously varied temperaments”
Quillia, he ed to keep it to hi on?
“My point stands, Ma me alive”
“Such brave words you speak, for soht in such a vulnerable position Surely even you, in your foolish inexperience and youth, understand that this is a losing proposition, Mason Al – ”
The crack that Florian’s enorainst Ma itcircle’s intense aura of pain I thought I saw soh the air, and clatter to the floor It rolled and rattled for a while, finally settling at the edge of the blood pool on the ground A golden fang I laughed hoarsely, proud of Florian’s opening blow, then suddenly deathly afraid of how Mammon would counter
With claws, apparently, huge, long talons that glea trails of light as they arced through the air, swiping closer and closer towards Florian’s torso If even a single one of theer, and very likely a hell of a lot of pain, to boot I didn’t know uess that even h to save Florian from Mammon’s claws
So, or someone, appeared out of the corner of ain focus, finally identifying the shape huddled just at the edge of the sealing circle
“Quill?”
He knelt there, touching his finger to the ground, nearly but not quite poking at the blood circle
“Ho down like this, you know Really threrench in the works The Rodriguez witches were supposed to kill each other Then I could scoop you up, whisk you aithout a fight”
“What? What do you ot some kind of crush on me, Quilliam? Geez Buy a man some dinner, first”