Page 681 -- LXXVIII.

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Dergoz growled. ‘Axiolis will contact the other Rainlords and rally them against us. We must acquire the Elroys as soon as possible and interrogate them. If they give up Gema’s location, then we can simply surrender Zeff’s brain to the Rainlords and avoid unnecessary conflict.’

Lawrence didn’t think it would be so easy but decided to keep his opinion to himself.

‘I know you are displeased with me and with what I am forcing you to do,’ said Dergoz. ‘But if we don’t find her in time, they will kill us all. Do you understand that? Not just you and me. Our whole division will be destroyed. Everyone who works under us. Extinguished.’

‘Then perhaps you are being loyal to the wrong person. If we tried to help the girl--’

‘It’s much too late for that. When Sermung falls, there will be no one to protect those loyal to him.’

‘And if he doesn’t fall?’

‘Then the Vanguard is doomed, anyway.’

And therein lay the source of their disagreement. Lawrence wasn’t in the mood for another futile debate, however, and started back for his office. He didn’t want to give the order to take the Elroys into custody, but unfortunately, it wasn’t up to him. And knowing that it would take Axiolis at least two hours to reach Aguarey--if that was indeed where the reaper was headed--then Mariana and her children would have no warning when the ten servants shadowing them took action.

Lawrence’s mood only worsened as he walked.


Chapter Seventy-Eight: ‘The undefeated woman...’
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Mariana sat in the front den, meditating. She’d decided to keep Marcos and Ramira home for the day without explanation. They’d not been terribly upset about it. Emiliana, on the other hand, had been rather insistent about attending school, and since Mariana didn’t have an exact reason why her daughter should stay home, she ended up relenting and letting the girl go. And when the Lady Elroy went to tell Francisco to accompany his sister, she found the boy already prepared to leave.

Mariana wasn’t given to smiling very often, but that had earned one from her.