Chapter 173

"Of course, Gabriel, I would never, ever tell anyone about Naghas' misfortune," Diana promised him, though she may not have gone far enough in reassuring him. The foxy-god, a true peace fanatic, had been the one to call into question the legitimacy of this meeting. Because he was concerned that one of the members of this group might be a spy from the seer's society, and he couldn't control who Diana might inform.

Gabriel took out his quill and a little piece of parchment on which to jot down his thoughts. "Tell me, Diana, how did you and your companions manage to get through our enchantment borders? This section of the northern region was exclusively accessible to those who had been invited."

Diana shifted ever so slightly in her chair, as if she were a ghost. "I don't know, Gabriel, your guess is my guess, but what's going on with the vampire leaders in the courtyard?"

"Well, I'll figure it out soon enough, but what bothers me is that Naghas was gone from my link; I coul