Grandmother slits the young girl’s throat in one swift and merciless motion. Lexanne’s blood splatters, spraying my face as I tackle my grandmother to the ground. We slam against a stalagmite. I roll off her and shoot to my feet, my fists up. But Grandmother doesn’t rise. She lies motionless, bleeding from her temple. My hands fall to my sides. I’m reaching for her when something hard strikes the base of my skull, and the catacombs explode with light and fire. “Someone had to take the fall, Maeve,” Vitor says, bringing me back to the present. Numb and trembling, I stare at him wordlessly. “But
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