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Some cynical part of me noted that I could probably inspire hi hi ht very ork, but there was no way I could hint at hiht save his life I’d refused Jasladly let himent to his crazy attitude about the prophecy

So I stuck to Marta and Maiwenn and how Kiyo had to help us defeat Varia I even erie of pets he had back in Arizona When I felt I’d iel, as a bit easier I praised his bravery and loyalty and talked about his fa kind words about Ysabel and Edria After Kiyo, those toh on my list of despised people

That left Dorian It eird because I probably knew him the best, and yetI really wasn’t sure exactly which words would get through to hihim so lifeless Dorian was always in y that crackled within hi ahead But now? This wasn’t right This wasn’t hoas supposed to be How ive anything now to see it replace this listlessness

I stared at hi time Panic seized me, mostly because I was suddenly afraid I would fail There was sooff Had I lost my chance forever? It tookup

"We can’t do this without you," I ed at last "Everyone talks about my powers, but you’re the badass here We need you to pull this off--and for h to get us to those gifts? Even Volusian’s not sure where they’re at We need you for the planning--and I know you’re sure as hell not going to let that Varia bitch get the best of you The Oak Landto you"

I exhausted those topics as th and cleverness I knew there were deeper topics to address but couldn’t quite get ain with the other guys when I heard so Volusian for not warning me, and then saas Jasmine and Keeli They and their horses looked as if they’d been traveling at breakneck speeds Keeli climbed down practically before her horse even came to a halt and proudly showed h," I said in approval "Any trouble? Were you spotted?"

"Never saw anyone," said Jash to find so"

I took one of the vines "Okay, then Let’s try this Remember--just one berry We want ‘fantastically ill,’ not dead"

We went around and carefully placed a berry under each ross but not s I did on a daily basis Part of me had kind of hoped for a miraculous transformation the instant the mistletoe was placed, but it was obvious this enchant broken

"We should keep talking to the about Alistir? Like his personal life?"

"He’s in love," said Keeli, expression softening "With a girl back in the Oak Land She loves him too, but her father doesn’t approve That’s why he joined the king’s guard--to prove hio talk to hiot?"

She did, and Jasiel I decided to repeatthat Shaya and Davin would have more ih thethat would be the key to unlocking this spell Neither Keeli nor Jasmine would talk to Kiyo, however That was all onred e finally called a dinner break The three of us were exhausted mentally and physically We’d lost a day here in the Mi compared to the fact that none of our efforts had yielded any results The ed There’d been no time to search for other food, so dinner was simply more fruit

"I’ll call Volusian soon and see what else we should do," I said, biting into a papaya "Maybe we have to replenish the " It sounded lame, even to me, but I didn’t knohat other options we had

"I hope those dryads corowled Jas to rip their hair out and wreck their pretty little bitch faces" Jasone as far to unravel so to and froh, and her haphazard efforts had left her hair looking pretty ratty I appreciated the zealous initiative, though Both Keeli and I had been too busy to bother with our hair

"I doubt they’ll be back," I said "They did what they intended Got revenge on ers to their land at the same time"

This was merely met with nods We were all too disheartened to ht fell The huround of white noise I hardly even noticed any when a voice spoke out of the shadows

"You are not going to replace me with that pretty boy Davin"

I nearly choked on , I spun around to look at Rurik He was still sitting but no longer in a frozen, blank way He was shifting, working the kinks out of his arms as he blinked the world into focus

"Rurik!" I ran over and knelt before hiht behind riround "What was inlike a fool "Oh my God You have no idea how happy I am to see you"

"I hear that a lot froed his undoubtedly stiff shoulders