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I sat on a hard, single bed with unkempt sheets and no pillows in a small bedrooht from the bottom of a boarded uplit the dim room The room smelled like mold and dust, and the only other pieces of furniture in the roo table and rickety, chair occupied by Jericho

I looked up at hiularly and stay the tears that threatened to floodup to safety without Avalon was the hardest loss to s

"Do you at least know if he survived?" I asked, with a hoarse voice My throat burned, and my head pounded; I was a complete mess

"Yes, atched hi by himself, he looked healthy," Jericho whispered, somberly

"A plane?" I asked without inflection

"The Royal Family has removed itself from India," he said, the smallest hint of amusement in his harsh tone "We suspect they will head to Roic of the earth there to protect the a splinter of wood to pick at

"How could I have failed soI could hide forever

"You didn't fail," Jericho sat up straighter, his voice stern and co "You destroyed a palace, and healed your brother which probably saved his life Gabriel said Kiran proress"

"Where is Gabriel?" I asked, not believing a word of encourageht?"

"Yes, he is He is resilient," Jericho sers were fidgeting with absentmindedly "He's hardly left your roo He pulled you out of there, fought off dozens of Guards He's" Jericho trailed off in awe of the wise priest

"Often underesti sadly and thankful for Gabriel despite the consu bitterness I felt for another failed ain, not recognizing any part of it "How long was I out?"

"A safe-house, we are still in India It didn't see is gone, there is not real danger here any for Jericho to tellI was unconscious "Eden, you've been out for two days And you've been thrashing about, shaking violently and expelling rando?" Jericho's brow furrowed and he leaned back in his chair ready for er hair falling across his forehead and his eyes sh of relief that I could count on hile detail of ain I could believe that everything would be all right

"I don't knohat's wrong with me Did Gabriel debrief you?" I asked and Jericho nodded, "It happened after I took the Guards in front of Avalon's cell So feels off, I feel like I don't kno to explain it, I feel like before I knehat ic hen I tried to suppress it and it would build up and explode everywhere Only this ti, it's still too excited too panicked"

"Do you think the Guards had the King's Curse, like before?" Jericho asked,from across the room to sit next to led next to hi's Curse Good lord, I think I would just choose to die if I ever went through that again!" I half laughed, trying to make a joke out of what I knew to be the honest truth "No, this is I think this is just ic Honestly, it feels like too ic a person should take, and maybe I've reached it Or maybe it was just too much, too quick; I don't know"

"Maybe," Jericho et used to it, Ok?" I looked up at hi to reassure hi to prove that I was already feeling better

"So the mission that we need to talk about," Jericho said carefully

I instantly tensed up, terrified that we lost soood news, it's just been so theup the explosives, Xander and Xavier ran into, literally, they ran right into Talbott He was on his way back from the airstrip, we think He was alone on a e If it weren't for their explosives, though, I don't think they would have been able to capture hi hi him here, but he is soreat news!" I exclai like I had a tiny piece of the upper hand