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“Youthis I don’t owe Azazel anything Wolf erous the de to Grace since she has just as much experience with demon deals as I do at this juncture I wrap my arms around myself “What were her terms?”

She turns away “I don’t know The last tiht he came to collect I know she et more information I…” She exhaled slowly “I don’t kno to summon him Do you?”

Do I?

I knohat Wolf did It seeh, at least in theory His bloodline vampire power is the ability to manipulate blood itself Thanks to ed to acquire that ability, along with Rylan’s shapeshifting and Malachi’s fire It would be enough…except I got these powers less than a week ago and I’ve had exactly one training session with Malachi to learn how to control they to keep up with Grace, let alone try again

I close h what Wolf did to summon Azazel A blood circle that became a blood ward of sorts I think He fucked Malachi in it, but I don’t know if that’s part of the ward or just because Wolf is, well, Wolf

As far as I can tell, after creating the ward, he did nothing at all Azazel showed up quickly after Malachi and Rylan left, but Wolf didn’t even say his name before the shadoeird and the demon appeared It has to be the circle Which is a proble a blood ward “Do you kno to create a blood ward?”

“Mina, I’m human”

Right Of course I shake my head slowly “Then, no I don’t think I can sus? I lift my voice “Azazel? Can you hear me?”

“Holy fuck” Grace flings herself back against the wall, her dark eyes wide as she searches the room The seconds tick into a fullakin to relief when nothing and no one lares “I cannot believe you just did that”

I can’t believe I just did that, either I shrug, trying to pretend I’m not as shaken as I am “It orth a shot”

“It orth a shot,” she repeats, shaking her head “You are out of your damn mind, Mina” Grace scoops up her backpack froun from the desk to tuck into her waistband She pauses with her hand on the door “Get so a look at this co shot, but ed since you were there that can provide us a way in”

It’s not safe for her to go scouting on her own My father is sure to have sentries farther afield than just the coht be human and therefore not seen as a threat, but she’s a beautiful human I wouldn’t put it past them to try to snatch her off the street to either be turned or tossed into my father’s pool of humans that serve as mistresses and blood banks “Grace—”

She’s gone before I can getout

I et the energy to stand and move to the door, and the next a wave of dizziness hits h that I have to throw out a hand to brace myself on the bed so I don’t topple “What the fuck?”

Is this an attack?

I try to push ic out, to sense, but it’s like I’m wrapped in a thick cotton straitjacket I can’t feel anything at all With a curse, I turn inward A quick body scan leaves me even dizzier Oh no This is so bad I letto do withattacked; at least, not from the outside

It’s the baby

It’s draining ic

2

I don’t nancy, it’s as if I don’t have a choice in thee room It’s not the hotel; it’s nowhere near as concrete as that The whole space feels strangely misty and uncertain, and yet as I sit up and look around, it also doesn’t feel like a drea Normally, when I dream, I don’t realize it is a dream until I wake