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battered against her.
    Jaelyn hastily fell to her knees, her head bowed. Although she hadn’t been personally approached by the Commission when she was hired to track down Ariyal, she’d been schooled in the proper etiquette.
    It was the same etiquette that a person used when confronted by any lethal predator who could kill you with a thought.
    “Forgive me.” Jaelyn kept her head lowered. “You startled me.”
    “Yes, you did appear to be preoccupied.”
    Wondering how long the female had been watching, Jaelyn carefully glanced upward.
    “I was attempting to escape.”
    “Hmm.” The female tilted her head to one side. “I fear there is no means of escaping Avalon without fey blood.”
    “You’re fey?”
    She instantly regretted the impulsive question as Siljar wrinkled her nose in visible disgust.
    “Certainly not.” Her brief annoyance was replaced by a sudden smile as she gave a wave of her hand, indicating that Jaelyn could rise. “But I am impervious to Morgana’s magic, which means I can come and go as I please. A fact that used to infuriate the woman.”
    Jaelyn cautiously straightened, not foolish enough to believe that the danger had passed.
    Oracles didn’t drop by for idle chitchat.
    “You were acquainted with Morgana le Fay?” She politely kept the conversation ball rolling.
    The smile widened to emphasize the razor-sharp teeth. “I had the pleasure of reminding her that she was not above the laws of the Commission.”
    “From what I’ve heard the Queen of Bitches thought she should be ruling the world. I can’t imagine she was happy to be reminded she had to obey the laws.”
    “It’s true our little visits tended to sour her mood.” The woman heaved a small sigh. “A pity she did not heed my warnings.”
    Jaelyn glanced toward the crumbling walls. There had been endless rumors concerning Morgana’s last battle, but no one seemed willing to reveal what had actually happened to the woman.
    “Is she dead?”
    “Worse.”
    “What—” Jaelyn abruptly bit off her question. “No, I don’t want to know.”
    “A wise choice.” The Oracle’s black, unblinking gaze held a hint of warning. “I have discovered that curiosity does indeed kill the cat.”
    Yow. Jaelyn squashed her lingering questions, fiercely reminding herself that for once she wasn’t the baddest, scariest thing in the room.
    Not the happiest thought when she had to accept there was only one reason that an Oracle would seek her out.
    She cleared her throat, forcing herself to stand with her spine straight and her shoulders squared.
    “Ariyal mentioned that time passes differently here.”
    “It does.”
    “What’s the date?”
    Siljar immediately understood her question.
    “Three weeks have passed since you entered the mists.”
    “Damn.” She’d missed her deadline. It didn’t matter that she’d been jerked onto an island wrapped in mystical mists that altered time. Or that there was a looming apocalypse. She’d been given three months by the Addonexus to track down Ariyal. And the head honchos of vampire hunters didn’t accept excuses. “I have failed to fulfill our contract.”
    “The Sylvermyst is proving to be surprisingly resourceful,” Siljar agreed.
    Resourceful?
    “He’s a pain in the ass,” she muttered.
    “A male is allowed to be a pain in the ass when he is so wondrously gorgeous,” Siljar murmured, shocking Jaelyn. “It’s a pity I’m not a few millennia younger.”
    Jaelyn wisely kept her thoughts to herself. She had all the troubles she needed, thank you very much.
    “Do you want me to return to the Addonexus?”
    Siljar paused, as if puzzled by the question. “Why would I want such a thing?”
    “The Ruah will send another Hunter to complete the contract,” she explained, referring to the traditional leader of the council.
    “So you can be executed?”
    Jaelyn shrugged. “My fate is irrelevant.”
    “I must disagree.” Pressing her palms together, Siljar stepped forward,