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Gabriel reached out to the minds of the Many, but none inhabited the deck where Korvel was being held When he tried to co lealley and fly down to the second level, they would go only as far as the stairwell While he could force them to carry out his commands, Gabriel instead released them The only time insects resisted his control hen their survival instincts were aroused The fruit flies, the least discri on the deck would kill them

When he and Nicola reached the botto with the scents of the threethe corridor came a sickly-sweet smell of a very specific decay: blood rot The threeof it

At the turn of the passage Gabriel held Nicola back "Walk ahead of e the men Leave them to lance around the corner and then stepped out into plain view When he reached for her, she shook her head and walked into the corridor

The three mortals Gabriel had sensed sat unconscious in sluainst the walls, their weapons where they had dropped them, their clothes soiled with vo in his scent before she pressed two fingers against his wrist

"He barely has a pulse" She scanned the corridor "What the hell did this?"

Gabriel pressed the side of his finger to his lips, and went to the door of the compartment in the center of the corridor On the other side he could hear a ainst the door, and then held up three fingers before she took the gun out of her belt and cha to her just before he wrenched the door open They stepped in together, guns ready

Korvel, whose hair was oddly short and copper-colored, stood by a table, a notepad and a golden scroll in his hands On the other side of the room a man dressed as a priest held a pale-faced woed the tip of a stiletto in her ribs, and held it at the correct angle to thrust it into her heart In his left hand he held a pistol trained on Korvel

Nicola focused on the weapon "Copper rounds," she murmured to Gabriel, before she said in a louder voice, "Nice haircut, Captain Can’t say I love the color, though"

"Put down the guns," the priest said, "or I will kill hireen eyes fixed on Gabriel "Shootto shoot anyone" Korvel kept his eyes on Pájaro "Your men are dead, and you can’t escape Give her to me, and I will let you live"

"You’re not a fool You will do no such thing" The priest sniffed several ti Nicola in the upper arun and reeled back into the wall, alht her in his arms She clapped a hand over the bloody hole in her jacket "You son of a bitch"

Gabriel eased her to the floor When he straightened his eyes began to gloith an eerie coldness To Pájaro, he said, "Now you die"

The priest fired again as Gabriel ca his head It took twohih" Korvel stepped in front of Gabriel to shield hio"

Instead of grabbing the translation, he lifted Simone "Where is he? I left a trail even an idiot like you could follow"

"He’s not co as he backhanded her "He’s never co bitch" He raised his fist

"She speaks the truth," Korvel told him "Her father has been dead for ten years"

Simone reached into the collar of her shirt and pulled out the cross "Do you recognize this?"

Pájaro jerked the chain from her neck "The old htened his fist around it and laughed with delight "I don’t even have to fight him" He shoved Simone down on her knees "Pick up the translation"

When Sied her back to her feet and hauled her around the tounded Kyn to the door He took the notepad out of her hands before he raised the pistol over the back of her head and clubbed her

Korvel picked up Nicola’s gun and shot the priest four tiered back, then looked down at the holes in his cassock Flattened slugs began dropping to the deck as he patted a bulky vest under his garment "You can’t kill me, vampire I am Helada now, and the scroll will makethe door and barricading it from the outside

Korvel knelt down to check Simone, as unconscious Once he carried her back to the pallet, he charged the door, raht Steel buckled, and a large dent appeared in the surface, but the door held

"Captain" Nicola hobbled over to Gabriel, as trying and failing to get to his feet "Give me that stiletto, will you?"

He picked up the blade and brought it to her "What are you doing here, Nick?"

"Oh, rescuing your ass Aren’t we doing a bang-up job?" She glanced at Gabriel’s face "No You are not going after hilittered as he snarled, "He shot you"