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Staring at herself in the mirror, she sighed again. How many times had her choices been stripped away from her? Left as little more than meat being dragged from room to room, force-fed gruel or tortured “for her own good”?

“Never again,” she whispered to herself in the mirror. “Never, ever again.”

Ask him if he kept the rings.

Why did that feel like a bazooka to her? Like once she fired it off, the world would never be the same? And what kind of collateral damage would she cause when she did?

With a shake of her head, she went about brushing her teeth. That made her feel considerably less disgusting. She knew she’d have to pull the trigger. She’d probably have to pull the trigger sooner rather than later. Half the talisman was now in their possession, and they had a lead on the third.

Halfway there. To a new life or a death sentence, she had no clue. But she wasn’t going to stop until she found out.

* * *

Rinaldo pressedthe ice pack to the back of his neck. The bastard lich had thrown him through a hedge and into a plastic road divider. Luckily, it hadn’t been concrete, but it still hurt like a bitch. Nothing some painkillers and a few stiff drinks couldn’t fix, but still.

Picking up his phone, he noticed he had missed a message. Flicking it open, he let out a snort.

“What?” Ally asked from beside him in the van.

He held up the phone to her, letting her read the message from Maggie.

Maggie: Sorry about the guy who lost his eye.

She chuckled. “Well, at least she’s considerate.”

“Goddamn undead vulture.” Rinaldo began to type a response.

Rinaldo: Nobody dead. Just a lot of injuries. Thank your man for that.

A long pause, and then three little dots.

Maggie: He just looked super confused and said it wasn’t on purpose, but that he supposes you’re welcome.

He smirked.

Rinaldo: Right. A lich wrecks half of Istanbul’s most historic building and somehow manages to not kill a single person. Totally by accident.

Maggie: Dunno what to tell you, pops.

Rinaldo: Pops?

Maggie: You prefer old man?

Rinaldo: I’m not old!

Maggie: Riiiiight.

The little three dots kept cycling. She was either typing something long or considering her choices. He frowned as he waited but didn’t interrupt her with another prompt. Finally, the message appeared. Two words. That meant she was definitely lingering on the decision whether to send it or not.

Maggie: Northampton, Massachusetts

He smiled faintly. Typing back, he hit send.

Rinaldo: Thanks, kid.

* * *

“Telling them where to follow us?”Gideon watched Marguerite intently where she sat across from him on his plane. He honestly didn’t know what to think of their recent developments. Oh, he would bask in the sweetness of her embrace for as long as she allowed it.