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He realized belatedly that there was no way to fight out of the room They were outnumbered by four Guardians, plus Lilith They had no weapons, nothing to use for thes would stay… and so would they Either as corpses or guests of the vampire queen

Neither of which appealed to Sebastian

As if reading his mind, Pesaro looked at him as the two Guardians pulled his Go Close the portal There is no other way"

Seventeen

In Which Sebastian Exercises Unusual Prudence

Victoria couldn’t breathe

"Where’s Max?" she asked again She tried to keep her voice calm She was sure she succeeded It was a si He’s just around the bend He’ll be along in aher to face him, away from the road on which he and Michalas had just ridden in "Victoria," he said, his voice sharp, "he obtained the rings for us We have the last two rings He stayed" He spoke clearly, slowly, and she wondered vaguely how many times she’d already asked, and how many times he’d replied

He stayed

Victoria closed her eyes and crossed her ar belly No Nononononooo

"We have the rings," Michalas said in a gentler voice "Lilith gave theo after hi The cobwebs slipped off; the nausea filtered away Confidence settled over her, and purpose

This she could do This was her duty, her task, her calling She’d come face-to-face with Lilith before Max must know she’d coers treally and looked at each of the men in turn "Michalas, you know the way to her lair now You can lead me there, and I’ll find a way in" She turned to Sebastian, who’d opened his s You and Briuests," Sebastian said, his thick blond hair riffled by a breeze He’d not stopped looking at her, a aze "Lilith sent some of her own to assist"

Victoria turned and saw three heavily cloaked figures standing in the shadow of the small inn where she and Brim had rested That explained the chill at the back of her neck, the sensation she’d barely acknowledged when she realized Max was not with Michalas and Sebastian Every other thought had fallen ahen she realized he wasn’t there

Now she accepted the presence of va sun

"They’re to return the rings to her e’ve finished with them," Sebastian told her

A sizzle of relief tickled her "And Lilith will release Max then? She’s holding hie?"

He shook his head "That wasn’t part of the arrangeain "Then it will be as I said Michalas and I will go to free Max, and you’ll go to the enchanted pool"

Sebastian drew in his breath to speak, but Victoria turned away and approached the vaht cluster, careful not to allow any part of their flesh to be exposed to the sun Under their heavy black hoods, two of them looked at her with red-violet eyes, and the third with ruby-pink irises She saw the glea from the invisible hand of one of the purple-eyed ones Two Imperials and a Guardian

Victoria felt a little chill up her spine "I am Victoria Gardella," she told them

"We knoho you are," replied the tallest of the three, who happened to be a female Imperial The sword she held, the Iainst the side of her cloak "I ae to you"

Victoria inclined her head to accept the e

"We three are to take you to the enchanted pool, and then to lead you to the Midiverse Portal We’re to return unhars If we don’t return within a week’s time, Maximilian will suffer"

"She’ll release hihed "No… Lilith merely promises not to torture hi in her presence is torture," Victoria said, forcing the words fro to keepyou to dust at this ainst the cloak of her cos in a week’s time, you can be assured that she’ll keep her word"

Victoria firet to hio to the Midiverse Portal They didn’t need her

She couldn’t leave Max here

She had to go after him

Without another word, Victoria turned and went inside the inn Once in the s leather bag in which she stored her weapons She’d go in well arht her way to Max