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.Their white metal armor and wicked silver weapons challenged any threat to Alden openly.He laughed, “I knew I would find you here and I knew you’d have questions.I don’t have the answers Synthia, hell.I’ve probably as many questions as you do now.But I knew you’d need family and you’re all I have.Also, Ryder has threatened the Guild with payback for the killings at his club.I issued no orders for an attack, it didn’t come from us and you have his ear girl, use it.”I snorted, “Have you met Ryder? That man makes my stubbornness look like nothing.Besides that, I don’t have his ear.I may be under contract with him, but I’m his enemy right now—right along with the rest of the Guild.” We were talking.We’d never spoken about his sister before.Hell, we didn’t actually talk to each other unless he was training me, or giving me an assignment.It was awkward, but I needed it more than I could admit.“He’s planning something, we’re evacuating the Guild.Only the Keepers of the Guild will remain.The books and records have to be protected.Syn…” he hesitated running his hand through his messed up hair, he looked as if he’d been doing it for a few hours, “I don’t know all the ins and outs of it with the Fae, but now I know you’re gonna need to feed eventually.Marie thought Ryder could help you.Before it made no sense, but now it’s starting to.She left us instructions in case anything ever happened to her.She told me you would need to seek him out.I figured when they requested our help that it was the perfect time to carry out her wishes and see what came of it,” he shrugged his wide shoulders, “Figured if nothing happened, or if Ryder wasn’t able to see anything different inside of you that maybe everyone had just been worried for nothing.”“So you think I should feed from Ryder?” I asked narrowing my eyes.“No,” he turned bright red as he responded, “No of course not Syn,” he rubbed the back of his neck and laughed uncomfortably, “I just think that the first time you do…you should be with someone you couldn’t hurt.”“Or kill,” I said what he hadn’t.He nodded, his face sagging with relief that I’d said it instead of him.He looked as if he’d aged since I’d seen him last…and maybe we all had.“Synthia, I’m looking into the records to see if anyone has ever succeeded in stopping a Fae from turning, I can’t promise results, but maybe we can find something to slow it down until I can.I can’t bring back my sister, but I can protect what she loved the most—you.”“I get it Alden,” I snapped.I hadn’t thought about feeding yet, hell I couldn’t even grasp the reality of what was happening.“We got bigger problems than me feeding.Arianna isn’t what she appears to be.She’s got pieces from our victims magically sewn on to her like a fucking quilt.” I was dodging emotions again and from the grin he flashed he was thankful I had.Alden swore violently, “Necromancer?”“Not quite, more like a puppet.Her eyes take in everything, as if someone is controlling her and seeing through her.I need to get to her, to get to the one controlling her.Get the master’s attention, maybe it will stop the killings.Problem is I’d need to kill his puppet to draw him out Alden.”“And doing so could start a war if you get caught before you can kill her and break whatever spell is covering up the fact that she’s nothing more than a fucking puppet,” he said rubbing the bridge of his nose.“Good grief, if she is what you say she is—the implications between the Dark and the Light Fae…”“I can’t do it without a team Alden.And not without the Guild being cleared out and safe from any repercussions that might come back on us.”“I can’t give you the okay to kill the Light Heir Synthia, even if she isn’t who she says she is,” I felt my stomach drop as he shook his head, “But I can give you a team and assure you that the Guild will be safe.”I smiled slowly, “So unofficially I have your permission, but if anyone asked…”He smirked, “If anyone asks, this conversation never happened,” he stepped closer placing his arms on my shoulders, “I don’t show emotion kid and I think it rubbed off on you a little bit.I’d like to think you know that…well that I consider you family and have ever since my sister brought you home in diapers, be careful Syn.I can’t claim responsibility which means no one will come to help if you get caught.You’d be at the Dark Princes mercy.”I nodded and exhaled slowly, “You have.”“Have what?” He asked narrowing his eyes.“I’m strong because you showed me how to be, I’m faster because you made sure I knew what could happen if I wasn’t fast enough.I’m me because you raised me Alden, you raised us all.Hard lessons aren’t easy to teach children, we’re stronger because you made us into what we needed to be.”Thirty FourI watched Ryder and his men moving into the room below, there were hundreds of Fae gathered inside the ballroom of the Dark Fortress along with human dignitaries and members of the press.Security was next to impossible to bypass, so just getting to the rooftop where we were crouched, had been a death-defying feat without the team being detected.“Last chance to back out guys, if this goes wrong we’re dead.No one will be able to save our asses.I need to know you can do this job.If you’re thinking this is too much, then it probably is.I know most of you are here because the Guild is on the line.I get it, you’re pissed.So am I [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]