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He paused. “Your full name is Beatrice Patricia Aurelian Ethera… the most ridiculous name in all of existence. You hate that name.”

I shook my head and smiled. “I do hate that name. I can’t believe you’re really here!”

“I can’t either. The Diaboli have powerful wards, and their demons keep guard over the Ether. Getting to you hasn’t been easy, and I don’t know how long I have before they find me.”

“I want to ask you where you are, but I don’t want you to tell me.”

“I won’t. I’m at the safehouse only dad and I know about.”

That made sense. Our family had safehouses all over Boston, but there was one only my mom and I knew about, and one that only my dad and Max knew about. My parents had chosen to keep the locations of these safehouses a secret from each other, just in case either of them was ever captured.

“Are you safe?”

“I am now. The Diaboli hit all the other safehouses looking for me.”

“That means they knew where they were.”

“They’ve probably known for years. Are you okay?”

“I’m not hurt, if that’s what you mean.”

“I think that’s what I’m going to have to settle for.” He paused. “So?”

“So, what?”

“So, I’m coming to get you, and we’re slipping you out of that place! I have the amulet. I can ride my connection to this place right now and have you out in an instant.”

The look in his eyes was hard to ignore, as was his offer, but my gut told me that was a bad idea. If Max failed, or if it took too long, or if Mason Diaboli’s invisible pets figured him out before he managed to get us both out of here, we were done for, and Mason wins.

There was also Lucien to think about. He wasn’t safe with his father any more than I was. The things his father had said to him tonight, the way Mason had addressed his son… I didn’t think he was as oblivious to the situation between me and Lucien as I had hoped.

The Diaboli also had a knack for knowing things. Lucien had known what flavor of pancakes I liked, and what my taste in clothes was. With Mason, his insights were probably a lot more insidious, which was why I didn’t trust this one bit.

Max was real, but this situation reeked.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You can’t come and get me.”

Max frowned. “What? Why not?”

“Because it’s not safe for you to do that.”

“I’m here right now, the demons aren’t around—it’ll take me ten seconds to get there, get you, and get out.”

“I wouldn’t let you do it even if you could do it in three.”

“Bee—”

“—Max, no. I know you want to help, but trust me, you’re safer where you are. We can’t let the Diaboli get their hands on your amulet.”

“Why not?”

“Because they want what’s in mom and dad’s vault, and they think the only way to get into it is with that. If they get hold of you, or of that, it’s all over.”

Max clearly wanted to argue, but he shut his mouth. “Alright,” he said, after a moment, “What do you want me to do, then? I may not get another chance to talk to you.”

I took a deep breath, then exhaled. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I need you to sit tight.”

“I’ve been sitting tight for a week. I need to do something! I want to help. I want to kill those Diaboli bastards for what they did to mom and dad!”