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her unrelenting stare starting to make Jaelyn twitch with unease. “Your fate has become of utmost importance. As has Ariyal’s.”
    Jaelyn knew she should be grateful that Siljar wasn’t in a hurry to have her executed. No matter what her training, she wasn’t anxious to take one for the team. But her spidey senses were tingling, warning her that she wasn’t going to like where this conversation was going.
    “I don’t understand.”
    “Neither do I,” the Oracle bluntly admitted. “The threads are shifting.”
    Jaelyn wasn’t sure what bothered her the most.
    The fact that the Oracle was baffled, or that she seemed to be implying that Jaelyn was a part of her confusion.
    “Threads?”
    Siljar gave a wave of her hand. “I am not a true seer, but I am capable of occasional visions, and more importantly I can detect those individuals who are to be woven into destiny to fulfill those visions.”
    Jaelyn took a hasty step backward. “You can’t mean ...”
    “You, Jaelyn.” She paused. Dramatic effect, anyone? “And Ariyal.”
    Shit, shit, shit.
    “That’s impossible.”
    “Ah, the cold logic of a vampire.” Siljar smiled, but there was no missing the warning in the dark eyes. She didn’t like Jaelyn arguing. “But denying your fate will not alter it.”
    “You can see my future?”
    “No, as I said, I am not a seer,” Siljar reminded her, “but I do know that you are a thread.”
    Jaelyn clenched her hands at her sides. “Is that why the Commission hired me to track down Ariyal?”
    “No, when you were requested to bring the Sylvermyst before the Commission it was to question his intentions in remaining in this dimension rather than joining his brethren with their master.” A punishing energy swirled through the air as the demon’s eyes glowed with a sudden silver light before returning to black pools of mystery. “But the fabric of the future is changing and your destiny has been irrevocably entwined with Ariyal.”
    Shaken by the glimpse of power contained within the tiny demon, Jaelyn chose her words with care.
    “How can the future change?”
    There was a long silence. As if the Oracle was debating the wisdom of sharing insider info. Then she gave a small shrug.
    “There is always a certain measure of fluidity in matters of time, but it is more chaotic than usual.”
    “Do I want to know why, or is that one of those ‘curiosity kills the cat’ things?”
    “It indicates that there will soon be a powerful flux in the universe.”
    Jaelyn grimaced, wishing that she hadn’t asked. Or that the demon hadn’t answered.
    Or...
    Hell. She scrubbed a hand over her weary face. She was tired, hungry, and wishing she could get a hold of Ariyal and kick his ass. This might not be entirely his responsibility, but she was willing to blame him.
    “The return of the Dark Lord?” she hazarded.
    Siljar considered before giving a shrug. “It is impossible to say.”
    Yeah, sooooo not helping.
    She shifted her concern from the looming end of the world to her own looming end.
    “Well, if the future is in flux then maybe my elevation to being some mystical thread is nothing more than a cosmic glitch that will soon be forgotten.”
    Siljar cocked her head to the side, her expression curious. “I thought Hunters were fearless?”
    Jaelyn snorted. “Facing death is one thing; knowing I’m a part of destiny is quite another.”
    “Is it destiny that troubles you?” She flashed her pointed teeth. “Or Ariyal?”
    Was the woman trying to piss her off?
    “It would seem they’re one and the same,” she muttered.
    “Very true,” the demon agreed with a shrug of indifference. Then she gave a lift of her tiny hands. “Well, I must go.”
    “Go?” Jaelyn took a hasty step forward. “Wait.”
    “Yes?”
    “Do you intend to leave me here?”
    Siljar slowly blinked, like a lizard.
    “Oh, did I not say?”
    “Say what?”
    “The terms of our contract have been altered.”
    Oh ... crap.
    Why did she