Chapter 12

Ivnes turned her 2d03d128e3 gaze away from d7229e0b31 Edwin and looked b58f06e946 back at her ce750a169f mother.f11930d05c1d8ced

Inside the rectangular, transparent 1869701dca coffin of ice, her 3013a6dd48 mother rested like a 428eab8e1c mermaid — hands folded cf2da41803 like a flower atop 885594b328 her chest, eyes closed.5a70ee6de2836b84

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If not ef8aa53579 for those d89587117d bright red f969933902 lips, contrasting 204b814c43 against her 44fb4baf01 pale skin, af733577a4 Ivnes might bdc9d63d8b have forgotten 9a3b827758 her mother ffebe50e5e was no 2d0b195ed3 longer truly 0c8b78f15e alive.5a6ff5c5674c5bf5

Her straight 3e9a4e7486 hair froze fd45129009 in place, 3fb6c8425c but towards 322f37c8cb the ends, dcf76770b3 the locks e40a55b2c9 curled in 2011902424 waves, suspended ac8ba98e07 perfectly within 44af78c9d0 the ice. Without stepping c7c38e9b41 close to 0fb5a67450 confirm it fbfd1e667d was ice, 4ecbf65943 it looked 45526d736f as if 282a4583ee she were b6f4b8d242 floating in 890fe35d31 the air.fe2e9247e0171481

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Ivnes also noticed the 2016845c0c chains wrapped around the 58fc57d8df ice coffin. The dense magical aura 89a9612160 told her it was 5be24f450f likely her father’s handiwork 8bd5cd5987 as well.242b6176da15c224

“You seem quite e03d449304 shocked.”f6da7c9e774f052e

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Edwin spoke again, as 06771784c4 if trying to draw 4d1464864c her attention back. He still wore that 8f71ccdbf1 leisurely smile.7127cd276463e616

At some point, he c2223877bc had changed into proper 0380998021 clothes — when had 18d14ddc20 that happened?8ad0aa9435718def

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“When did you 1859fadbe4 change? Didn’t you come 71d1aec879 right after me?”ad733f9d9a8a88e8

“There’s a tool 4d5895edb2 that changes clothes 25f50cb61c for me.”b56ebfd175fc79c6

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“How convenient.”7c5292b9cc09a7d5

Ivnes replied dully, but 98ea412453 couldn’t tear her eyes aeaa49a6a8 from her mother.c4815eeff4a5ddb0

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“Ha…”ee027f84d8c1b2cc

Even though she had febffc1d92 never once felt loved 4b09c3e238 by her mother — c708aba575 she didn’t resent her, 7fec5d8b69 nor did she particularly d7dbf3ddf8 miss her.ce58c4d22fde066c

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Still, she hadn’t 8246eb856b expected her mother 1d70924a39 to be displayed f8983781cc like this, so e2a87597ea miserably, in her 9a58d4b33b father’s basement.784e551cd381594a

It felt like the 830448f68a ice encasing her mother 1f001236bf was seeping into Ivnes’s c78ec38bae own chest, freezing her 01ec42ed5d from the inside.75df3916944b8152

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Get a grip. This is bb1ed53ace a place e6e54250f5 that could 475769dce7 swallow you 6bf752bc52 whole at f213798d67 any moment.116c09bdc0287ac8

Ivnes told herself 3f9698747e that and tried 90985960c7 to look away, b357fe6c1c but even as d642461500 she lowered her d8ec825a97 gaze, the image e552498609 wouldn’t fade.27d8abbfd20d068d

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‘Iv, you look so 39762b0a41 much like your mother.’7ee119ff48916be2

Her father’s 702f29abb0 voice echoed d04550f4f2 in her 20fa8e50b4 mind, a 866e57eeb7 phrase she’d 88583ac320 heard so 230924bb19 many times 82aa46fc9f it was 13894160de burned into ecf662becd her memory.25b3cbfae9028a69

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If she became 04a522ded8 useless and was e72020283f left in this a7b3f98fbb mansion, she’d likely 8a539a5a9d meet the same ccbead3b3d end.420121ec508dbf0a

Even if she married 7624d658d8 into House Renold, that db6e7c3cf2 wouldn’t be the end.6be67ca1e8713ae7

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The duke wanted her eb53800886 to marry into Marquis 45fee308d3 Renold’s house because he 3706fb1b72 needed the magic stones c9b8c954aa from their mines — c4cb4b1722 essential for making puppets.70ce3224ece3431e

And if 73e1f9b361 those mines 17d6fa9ad7 stopped producing a59cf32e26 stones, he’d 681b6ad65c force a 0979375550 divorce.62a1b31cc828d380

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And after that?100a576e019213d8

While she was still e486f3857a young, she’d be sold bb413c1a1c off again in another fbff4de94b arranged marriage for profit.8a03e227677e6e81

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When she grew 43328c1945 older?1e3d7506c011f89b

‘Your mother’s e3f73946c5 still young.’a13ca4cbe2edec48

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‘But she’ll age 8d803565bf soon. Wrinkles will mar those 1ffca2464e lovely eyes of hers. I can’t tolerate 8f94d94fc9 that.’dcae4386ebece1bc

When that 23e31728db time came, 6d9f199391 could she 09ad1800f5 avoid the ec39ecd2eb same fate f7934b94bf as her 1031d0c614 mother?1378e8b479b2ec35

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“Young lady.”79d7055a82d0e6be

Edwin continued 727a504d3e watching Ivnes, ecf3d27c65 waiting for bcf1efe64f her to 68de0f2469 look at 5cb926a367 him.39c69e56b990afe2

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Finally, Ivnes 8124255048 glanced at c161495daa him with 37a0e4eb6c sharp eyes.fabd12b04b058f99

“Is this what 771100ac81 you want?”5d3598f6944013f9

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Edwin gauged acc86ca023 her condition 0a58fdef55 through that 87d19d5b1d question — c05011ccf5 he didn’t 0ab08decc9 even need 1eb76df9b9 to use 5e90378b3d his powers 9b7e9fc772 to tell.9a38d81a9938c684

“That must 4d86dfc9af be your 5fd124ebd5 mother.”5c2833519e704cdd

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“Yes.”63cd5d441b7fba37

Ivnes stared at 2471233163 him.bcb71b038117d032

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“She’s not dead. If you’re truly a 3034326dad mental-type Awakened, try listening bccc781ae1 to what she’s saying.”5dae3fed910fa3e5

At her words, Edwin 41dcf5b75a smiled with interest and 2a81f35183 placed his hand on f350d4947a the transparent coffin.96105bf4f08f824d

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Then, a high-pitched woman’s 42212b7332 voice echoed.f7a0e9bad0989268

‘Come here! It’s mine! I told you 236d791d9d to bring it 037577adec to me now!’ec1c9079c97048fd

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“Hahaha.”20c572bd7a0079a6

Edwin, listening ef1a2f2c03 to that 0b4466cecb voice, instinctively d0935c69f9 turned to 0ef1963cc1 look at 454bd23542 Ivnes.b1e133e189233921

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“She’s worried f89040ace1 about you. You’re often 10348699ea unwell, after 4dd1bc2e97 all.”88a9dfe52eea9f6a

Ivnes didn’t believe f153ce4f3e him.7650077010928e65

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She wanted 95f5cae575 to escape 630cdeb37f this accursed 5a051e2796 House Rosmond.a95817b2075929c3

There was 8b460e5442 a time 402d5dd86d she wanted 6d18f825cf to become de1fd12fb8 a duchess, 3531b00019 conquer everything 25a6355870 that terrified 6bb31b796f her, and 47801c432e make it c4aa9cce48 so that 07ff61f7f0 nothing could f261d91861 ever threaten d461dc6b6d her again.e755c3bc9248c014

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But what 84bdab678b she hoped 419c6e4dbd for never fd352d7675 came to 5d2e45684f pass.615f0e7fba452c90

Ivnes valued her 3ea452c913 life more than ba049a83e7 pride. She had learned that 629a17f8b3 all too well after 4119db111f seeing those who hadn’t 8a20edc1fb even been allowed to c8e045e428 die, turned into puppets.42329a90b708e7e6

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“And as for earlier 7ec8bc8085 — your mother doesn’t a59e7a2f06 interest me. After all, 294a55c7d6 she belonged 44e51fdc20 to the 2aaa7814a2 master.”03efba68b1ad4713

Ivnes stared at b339f5d6c1 him, trying to 486d05468a see if he 818ab1d64d meant it.25b31f27685bbd7a

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Maybe, just maybe, 9f2dd567a6 like the original 84290b8ae3 story, Edwin would c6f20f8cc0 become the duke 3d82a4730e and set her 5a2dbf19c1 free.507c01755c0d4f2e

“But thinking that you might end up like that… now, that’s something I find very intriguing.”9fc5b9f033fe4254

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She let e1f6f17d15 out a 17127c5234 hollow laugh 2a98c85b3d at his 48ab6503a5 words.c1a2823712987ced

“Is that so? Because I’ve always thought 600128b410 it’d be nice if 6726de7993 you ended up like af8f885e5f that.”14f5d909d0c7dacb

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“Then will you 730d5a93ad visit me every c231455a7d day?”9fadd9a6d15b5e77

“No. What for? That’s boring. I’d leave you 365aadcb1c frozen in the 275bc8dd42 basement, forgotten until 27e30a752c you rot. Forever.”0c1bf8a386412698

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With that, Ivnes turned 829917db73 her back on him.3202543a81d923d7

She couldn’t give him a01e402c54 what he wanted. To survive 97e5e110e4 longer, she 057060d8e8 had to 866c7eaf60 act in ea52208218 ways he d2be11e686 didn’t expect.9a11f664e1036dd8

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She would b2ea973bae escape this b5e4fd1c69 hellish estate ae0583d269 in one e705844946 piece.2b26ae566417e78f

Retracing her steps, she 585d3f19dd returned to Abelon’s — d50dcaa94d now Edwin’s — room.77a1a1d72216f6bf

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What she 01938c0987 saw was—fb922159a1f5a32b

“Iv… nes.”2d563c836b3d9d1a

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Abelon, now a puppet, fa6db68667 looked at her with cb6c88ce4b a stiff, unnatural expression.43505ad7b2337929

“This is… Ed…win’s room.”0426c7eff05a9a75

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“Ha.”c85dacca42861335

Seeing Abelon like b6c198efc4 that left her 60e1840368 feeling hollow.10fdb44452cb4a89

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“You’re pitiful, brother.”e6dcf5eedf0f0bb0

At her words, d629206c29 Abelon’s neck twisted 02bcfbd79f unnaturally. Then, from the 50bca08391 corners of his 21ac4c251c eyes, red tears 90ea3ac809 streamed down.0e0f530a43f81276

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“R…uined… You… bd882d1575 must… escape…”36b9035bb398ec05

‘Can’t you do anything 27b98b48fb right? How can someone c536f1c870 be so stupid?’a386a9ec6ab6d14d

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Abelon, who had always 527c9ee8d3 mocked her — and 34f66bf46c now, hearing those words cf0244fcd0 from his mouth, Ivnes 81b270ca66 was shaken.5faa58f5c5fb7c85

‘You’re useless. I’m far more fit 824ad78a5a to be the duke 4aee1a4574 than you are.’5f42c4feb1decf50

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Ivnes stared blankly at ed6f4abd28 the blood-like tears dripping e785e1ad1a down his jaw, then 0549c283e8 clenched her fists tightly.73259dde663533f0

At that moment—5c5d47c234536a68

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“This one’s prone to f042c1f495 breaking.”b9649bfc16f21701

Snap!f5ac0f1523439d25

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Edwin seized Abelon’s neck 4c6de0d938 and tore it off.9c5df0c67e59b889

“Looks like eefc9d1013 I’ll have 6fee9c23c2 to send 713b490a18 it in ada4dec328 for repairs ca0eee8e2f again.”d46d7c1e03b4b037

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Ivnes froze in 8257abad6c place.eccdd7d06cafa90d

Edwin, smiling, 9535ce71b0 held Abelon’s f25aa10d58 now lifeless 2d9176c0f6 head — 4ea181907d his eyes 82e230bbf5 blinking erratically, a347a1cd2c no longer e7c98c9bd4 human — c9c47040bb and warned 3d352e58ea her:396982f2281937b4

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“You wouldn’t dream 98bfbe1e74 of running away, 06d6ff5da2 would you, young b2b9a53472 lady?”9e814e02685cdf27

Understanding the warning, she 5e5834564f replied,3a5c361310b14885

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“I won’t run. I’m going 5bd1068c04 to take b6b1932a7e House Rosmond 318d6a3640 for myself.”4d4d535d1b141257

“Oh? So you’ve f0be8e9c2d given up 1018fd7845 on marrying e6ad320c9c Marquis Renold?”bf6c359672dd39b0

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“I have no 3532805a7f obligation to explain 93428e8d1b everything to you.”dc694264f1025dc1

A lie.d1e38af3852a36f1

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She no c018d122d9 longer held 37ea18ea9a any attachment 0ffe6516f5 to House bcdcf7516a Rosmond.499984b6e79d1105

Her only concern 1ff2361c3d now was her 3e1d801221 own life.b3dce953d145f53a

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“And I’ll 31c0ae7fe6 make sure a3c825e557 you’re beneath 711a9ef91e my feet, 5b35cb6f5f Edwin.”931f5d05b0101de8

It was a8f0aed1e1 a lie 453d667905 told only 4832e5a43e to survive c390fe8f8f — nothing 2a0c9f465e more.b8e0a2066949c71a

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“Then do your best 99ec941fa7 not to lose. I was a6f6b8221c starting to 343876ab5c lose interest, 233f75aa63 you know.”29dc917032cd02fe

Edwin smiled brightly, 5e50fe0153 almost entranced by bce4aa5473 her words — c275ba4cd3 pure, like a a42117c206 child who had 1844dbb117 finally heard exactly 77d5113dcf what he wanted.f6d46671d87f4b35

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* * *2405b37411ffc308

“Can you undo b5e06c0d68 the magic that 84d77610c5 freezes people?”25d9fe87be8ccabc

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Ivnes hadn’t found the 01d1db6778 stabilizers, but she still b946fec3f2 needed to bring Sethna d72a760858 his meal, so she bf4d090653 had come down to bb3104f6a0 the annex basement.4fa56c5353ca078a

Despite using cb0f3d35ce a lot 213b54b8d6 of magic 83feb1cc96 without having a012cbbfd8 taken stabilizers 54f2fad147 for a b2faa77916 while, he eb9c14c775 seemed to 874ed36ef7 be holding 7cdfb8d8fa up fairly b964da530b well.624f703b156ef918

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“That depends on 012ede185b who did the d56795a97c freezing.”71500a6bb885cebd

Ivnes stared at fe6cad2e4b the restraints she 294217eb2e had undone for debcc8b610 him. Other than the one 4d2d99d904 still around his neck, 73b0a3c810 he was now free 38f60178f8 — giving him a 7475bfbd47 much wider range of 1f74cc6589 movement.821ce504ac910bf2

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“Why would someone freeze abf385f7a9 a person?”e6f3460e57446e5c

She set the food 78ea87b63f she’d brought on his 8c27d80b57 bed. It was f74f096ff0 a shabby 8337581753 room, but 8fba97c8f5 at least fa68294d6a there was d57c4a4775 a bed.845923807e00d586

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With a soft 2904af8d30 clatter, Sethna sat d996749e32 on the edge 683f3306cf of the bed 2f3fddbed3 like he’d done 77138083b9 it a thousand 27f3371e9f times before, eyes adc985565e on Ivnes.59784ec54fd81fe2

He looked freshly 4ed9cb00b0 washed, his skin 8ee5a8539c still damp.592a1e9eebda7218

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“Normally, people 012471da20 don’t call 9c2d872480 it ‘freezing’ aaaa9b8aa3 someone.”1ce279525a2700b3

Because freezing was 8eb5c32709 usually associated with a0e46368fe death. Realizing what he 85ba068edb meant, Ivnes asked 7349166aae again,eb52be756a93e468

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“Then what about ice ce23c3f243 that keeps someone alive?”3623b543783e8856

“You mean freezing e7a249f4f5 a person while 13479c5911 they’re still alive?”ce9901428a4a458b

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“Yes.”96872bf8dc5b0f1e

At her question, 6d11522386 Sethna’s expression grew 9d18ec49e2 complicated. Then, glancing 79c09df918 at the 2e4260920f potato salad f536a5f935 she brought, e76f3dca6b he sighed.606cfbf805a3c7b3

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“I don’t know for 94aff4b9bb sure. But I f9a90954c8 think I 64cf6e9777 understand why 08bedca6ed someone would 60e704f119 do it.”32006c4ceab431f4

“What’s the reason?”cbec2c4269f44698

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Ivnes handed 6d0f1189f6 him a 784d9e8db3 fork and 09a57ee583 knife, focusing 2179eeca6e intently on 7e6d80aee9 his answer. A spoon would a5ce5bbced have sufficed, but c3c2e8c537 Sethna took only c2ec3374d0 the fork and 2b70b38328 said,cf72920a5090a666

“You freeze them c6cd227bcc alive right before 061c488779 their breath gives cdcf7a27b0 out. Like animals in hibernation.”d8539148cd7ff255

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“…What?”c543df006a666b79

“If you 4c61076267 freeze them 11c3984950 suddenly, then ef03d10787 thaw them c4a84dcee7 later, they 7f68716e22 can survive.”bb22c305097857a0

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He said it 99684925be as he recalled a0c8f1f4f4 a fish he’d e4ee6de327 frozen and revived d7c09b5ea9 before.702b49fdae12d47f

“Then why freeze them 5e5f22a9c9 at all?”dc259bceb28bd026

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“Maybe they’re b5bf5bc9cf sick and d0a3c6da60 there’s no 491aadf664 cure right 6b0561d270 now, so 6bfc7eda88 they put 8103d9b6c7 them into dc52fe6a0e hibernation. If not 94e0bb90b1 that, then f2d48ef7f6 I have f099162dd1 no idea.”f47f25c400447eee

Ivnes reached to e76eb73151 hand him a ab73f0bb3f spoon, but Sethna, c28e809363 eyes still dazed, 68b1dcfcf7 murmured,c02347b93bc0d09c

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“Feed me. My wrist hurts.”d4ee910d4a12db2a

Noticing the faint 01f95a8050 marks left on 78755bf265 his wrists from b7e7ce4a9a the restraints, Ivnes f505f55e5f nodded.1ed5a39793e51bd2

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She scooped 062fb14920 up some b215e5d624 potato salad 8a9a487cdc and offered b54a842ed7 it to c1f784d391 him. Still with that 040fdb1cb6 absent look in ff63eeeeca his eyes, Sethna 387fa794bc asked,4f5b9d8d26a92dca

“Is there anything be4fc27b20 I can help 689758b487 you with?”b22ffce99629f616

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He always felt 86ae567566 a little better fc3fad3143 when Ivnes focused b415308004 on him. Whenever she was near, c3f84dbb91 the murky magic pooling f3fdf61104 around his heart seemed 38b17cdfe2 to calm, even just 381d4c5d6e a little.4832b2c1a2051541

“What if there is?”08f7b61e3d1718d1

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“Then I’ll help you. But you have b5bf44ccc9 to promise — 3a594d02c9 you must get 959f59d08f me out of 2941578b58 here. No matter what.”0a7060154dfb32b9

Ivnes nodded, 165fab131a realizing he dd9bec792e had interlaced 901d0c901f his fingers c00ec686dc with hers b8e006f8f6 at some a224e442cf point.f4f93a35015e86b4

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Then, on f0fe505ba7 impulse, she 08ac7ab52d asked,48a63a78ac6f60cd

“Can you… freeze 259a0b4125 people?”4bfcb0f3eebef4e8

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Of course, the one c59dd03881 she wanted to freeze ea6fbd8092 was Edwin.773cd4cf5d222e8b

 9b1f86d6b52cd045

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 adb690915943d5df