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we know that he s not in on whatever the Coven is planning.
Danaus slowed up as we drew closer to the island.  How does that help us?
 It creates turmoil within his own kind. Possibly a distraction, a weakness we can later exploit. I said, pushing some hair back
from my face.  I think the other six on the mainland are to serve as backup in case something goes wrong. Together with the three
we saw from the hotel window, these nine were either sent by Rowe to reclaim the missing naturi or are outside of Rowe s plans
and aligned with the naturi already on San Clemente.
 Should I ask if you even have a plan?
 Get out alive, I replied dryly, folding my hands over my stomach. The statement earned me a fresh frown as Danaus
concentrated on pulling the speedboat into the dock. It wasn t the most difficult of tasks, considering there was only one other
boat tied to the little stone structure. Apparently, the house had been emptied of the court before the Coven s guests arrived. The
hunter had also chosen the dock the farthest from the Great Hall. With the court gone, we could quickly travel to the hall and still
give me enough time to lay down a couple of ground rules. I wasn t sure Danaus was going to go for it, but I had to try.
Of course, I d promised to keep him alive while in Venice, so I had to protect him no matter what happened with the Coven. Yet,
nowhere in that agreement did I state in what condition he had to be in. If he became too much of a risk, I d drain his stubborn ass
in a heartbeat and keep him unconscious until we were out of Venice.
 We need information, I said.  We need to know what the Coven is planning, why the naturi are appearing in Venice, and what
in the world they have agreed to. To get any of this information, it means no killing.
Danaus shut off the engine and stared at me as if I d been babbling in ancient Celtic.  Your so-called leaders are making deals
with the enemy and you don t want to kill them? After you were so eager to finish them just last night? he demanded, shoving the
keys into his pocket. His hands absently swept over the pair of knives attached to his belt at various locations and the sword
strapped across his back. As a seeming last resort, a handgun was in a holster at the small of his back.
 You misunderstand me, I chuckled, rising bonelessly to my feet. Unfortunately, the motion wasn t as graceful as I had hoped
my sudden shift in weight made the boat rock, and I hadn t accounted for it. I wasn t meant to be on a boat for extended periods
of time. Steadying myself with a hand on the back of the chair I had been sitting in, I continued,  I want each of them writhing in
unbearable agony, their flesh slowly stripped from their dusty old bones, their eyeballs melting and oozing from their sockets as
they beg for death. I want the Coven and the naturi dead in the worst way, but now is not the time. If the Coven is destroyed,
their secrets die with them, and that does not help our plans.
 That didn t stop you from trying last night, Danaus tartly reminded me again as he stepped from the boat and onto the dock.
 That was a mistake, I conceded, jumping onto the dock beside him.  I wasn t thinking clearly and let my anger get the better of
me. This time is different. I will need your help, but I need you to promise not to try to wipe out the Coven and the naturi without
my agreement.
 Mira 
 No, I m serious, I quickly said when he sounded as if he would argue.  Do you think killing the Coven tonight will actually stop
the naturi from entering our world? Will killing these winged monsters stop the sacrifices? If we re killed tonight, do you honestly
think Ryan will be able to stop the naturi in three nights?
 Then what s to keep them from killing us the second we walk into the Great Hall? he asked.
 Fear. The hunter snorted and started to walk up the dock toward the path that wound its way through the tiny forest to the
Coven. I jogged up to him and stood in his path, stopping him again.  They re scared, or at the very least wary of me, and they re
terrified of you.
Danaus scoffed again and tried to step around me, but I quickly moved to block him, putting a hand on his broad chest. Beneath
my fingertips I could feel his heartbeat pounding a mile a minute. It was a bit surprising to find him so anxious when none of it
leaked out into his voice or expression.  You ve killed countless nightwalkers, and I m sure more than one of them was an
Ancient. Jabari has also seen firsthand what we can accomplish together. By now the naturi would have heard what happened in
England. Both sides may be willing to give us a little space.
 You re not afraid of me, Danaus said, catching me off-guard with the comment.
I stared into his intense crystalline eyes, forcing a smile onto my lips.  That s because I know you re a big pussycat at heart.
Wouldn t hurt a fly, I teased, then turned and walked down the path before he could answer. Good thing I wore my boots,
because it was getting deep. Afraid of Danaus? I was terrified. I tried not to surround myself with creatures that could destroy me
with a thought. Or worse, destroy my whole kind with a thought while using me as a weapon.
The walk to the Great Hall was uneventful, but we were prepared the whole time with weapons in hand. I gripped the little dagger [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]