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I Marked The CEO Mine 32
This was the night hed almost given up. Now his shoulders burned. The sudden urge to let his wings out almost brought him to his knees. His insides roiled with shame-filled horror. It was rising in him, the temptation hed fought so long to repress. In the circle around the fire, Daniels past self looked at Noah . Youre unusually quiet tonight. Noah didnt answer right away. What would you have me say? You faced this problem once. You know-- "And what would you have me say?" Noah sucked in his breath. Something charming and persuasive. Annabelle snorted. Or something underhanded and absolutely evil. Everyone waited. Noah wanted to burst forth from behind the rock, to rip his past self away from here. But he couldnt. His Announcer had brought him here for a reason. He had to go through the whole thing again. Youre trapped, Noah said at last. You think because there was once a beginning, and because youre somewhere in the middle now, that there is going to be an end. B
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Thats exactly the sort of thing Ix Cuat would say! You always were a little bit backward! What do you mean? See, you--Ix Cuat--were born during the Wayeb, which are these five odd days at the end of the Mayan year that everyone gets real superstitious about because they dont fit into the calendar. Kind of like leap-year days. Its not exactly lucky to be born during Wayeb. So no one was shocked when you grew up to be an old maid. Old maid? Lawrence asked. I thought I never live past seventeen . . . more or less. Seventeen here in Chich?n Itz? is ancient, Chi said, floating from head to head, his wings humming as they fluttered. But its true, you never used to live much past seventeen or thereabouts. Its been kind of a mystery as to why in the lifetime of Clementine Hunter Price youve managed to stick around so long. Noah said it was because I wasnt baptized. Now Lawrence was sure she heard drums--and that they were drawing closer. But how can that matter? I mean, I bet I
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The pyramid towered over her. The painted temple at the top--where Chi had said Ix Cuat would be--felt as distant as a star. Lawrence was so thirsty. Her throat ached for water; the ground scorched the soles of her feet. It felt like the entire world was burning up. This place is very sacred, Chi murmured in her ear. This temple was built on top of a previous temple, which was built on top of yet another temple, and so on, all of them oriented to mark the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. On those two days at sunset, the shadow of a serpent can be seen sliding up the steps of the northern stairs. Cool, huh? Lawrence just huffed and began climbing the stairs. The Mayans were geniuses. By this point in their civilization, theyve already predicted the end of the world in 2012. He coughed theatrically. But that remains to be seen. Time will tell. As Lawrence neared the top, Chi swooped in close again.
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All at once, they stopped walking. Deep in the dried-out, thirsty jungle, the path before them opened up. A huge water-filled crater in the limestone spanned a hundred feet in front of Lawrence . Around it were the bright, eager eyes of the Mayan people. Hundreds. Theyd stopped chanting. The moment theyd been waiting for was here. The cenote was a limestone pit, mossy and deep and filled with bright-green water. Ix Cuat had been there before--shed seen twelve other human sacrifices just like this one. Below that still water were the decomposing remains of a hundred other bodies, a hundred souls who were supposed to have gone straight to Heaven--only, at that moment, Lawrence knew that Ix Cuat wasnt sure she believed in any of it. Ix Cuats family stood near the rim of the cenote. Her mother, her father, her two younger sisters, both holding babies in their arms. They believed--in the ritual, in the sacrifice that would take
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Honestly, how many times do you have to see the same story line before you realize nothing is ever going to change? Something has changed, Lawrence said. Thats why Im on this journey, thats why Im still alive. If I could just see him again--all of him--I know I could handle it. You dont get it. Chis voice was rising. Youre talking about this whole thing in very mortal terms. As he grew more agitated, spit flew from his lips. This is the big time, and you clearly cannot handle it. Why are you so angry all of a sudden? Because! Because. He paced the ledge, gnashing his teeth. Listen to me: Noah slipped up this once, he showed himself, but he never does that again. Never. He learned his lesson. Now youve learned one, too: Mortal flesh cannot gaze upon an angels true form without dying. Lawrence turned away from him, growing angrier herself. Maybe Noah changed after this lifetime in Chich?n Itz?, maybe hed become
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What the hell just happened? Shelby asked, helping Miles to his feet. The Nephilim was ghostly white, gaping down at his hands, flipping them over and examining them as if hed never seen them before. Noah turned to Miles. Thank you. The Nephilim boys blue eyes looked eager and terrified at the same time, as if he wanted to pump every detail out of Noah about what had just happened but didnt want to show his excitement. Shelby was speechless, which was an unprecedented event. Noah had despised Miles until then. Hed been annoyed by Shelby, whod practically led the Outcasts straight toward Lawrence . But at that moment, under the olive tree, he could see why Lawrence had befriended both of them. And he was glad. A horn whined in the distance. Miles and Shelby jumped. It was a shofar, a sacred rams horn that made a long, nasal note--often used to announce religious services and festivals. Until
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She did, and it looked different than it had before. The veldt of stars was endless, the dark of night folded again and again over so many bright spots that the sky was more light than black. Its beautiful. Its about to be a tabula rasa. His lips curled into a twisted smile. Ive grown tired of this game. This is all a game to you? Its a game to him. He swept his hand across the sky and left a dark swath of night in his wake. And I refuse to concede it to that Other simply because of a cosmic scale. Simply because our sides are in balance. Balance. You mean, the scale between the fallen angels who allied themselves with you, and those who allied themselves with-- Dont say it. But yes, that other. Right now there is a balance, and-- And one more angel has to side, Lawrence said, remembering the long talk Arriane had given her at the diner in Las Vegas. Mmm-hmm. Except this time, I wont leave it to chance. It was a shortsighted goal of mine, the whole starshot bit, but I
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I wont set foot in there. Noah pointed at the temple. Lilith was close to tears. Then you dont love me. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but it doesnt change a thing. Liliths thin body seemed to swell with rage. Could she sense that there was more to Noah s refusal than merely some wish to deny her? Noah didnt think so. She clenched her fists and let out a long, shrill scream. It seemed to shake the earth. Lilith grabbed Noah s wrists and pinned him against the tree. He didnt even struggle. My grandmother never liked you. Her arms trembled as she held him down. She always said the most terrible things, and I always defended you. Now I see it. In your eyes and your soul. Her eyes bored into him. Say it. Say what? Noah asked, horrified. Youre a bad man. Youre a--I know what you are. It was clear that Lilith didnt know. She was gras
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