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While we ate, we talked of innocuous subjects like the weather, the kirk and the political situation in Mineral City, food, beer, and the ice cap that had mysteriously disappeared from the top of the Trine, followed by a six-foot snowfall to the east I had caused the snow Mysterious woman of secrets, that was ht, tea for me, divinity, and cheesecake - we talked about the latest seraph updates The presence of an SNN news crew in town Ciana Nothing more personal Until he said, "I almost died down there"

I put down the teacup with a rattle His lips were tight, the expression bleak, asharound cell where he&039;d been kept in the pit on the Trine Seen the strange, radiant food they had fed him I&039;d seen what a Darkness did to his in Lucas&039; throat, sucking his blood, stroking Lucas possessively A daywalker whose eyes changed froht, a walker who called hiave me power over hiized for it Strange and stranger I still didn&039;t knohat it all s," Lucas said, drawingthehtly "One was Ciana She needs ive a child what she needs to feel secure and loved" I nodded, watching our hands, ue thick indown there"

I sat up, ies became visible and I could see Lucas&039; life force, his aura It was a wondrous, shiold halo that followed the contours of his head and shoulders, and spilled across the table as if reaching for me In two places a shadoirled, small spots near his jaw

He smiled wryly "It&039;s your lucky day, Thorn St Croix Stanhope" Before I could correct him on the name, he said, "You&039;re the one I&039;hstick hilt, but I&039;d left the sword by the door "The Darkness&039; name is Forcas It was once a Minor Darkness, but when its boss was captured with a chain and Mole Man&039;s bloody sacrifice, it got pro with Stanhope blood Mole Man&039;s blood My blood"

I put it together with the history of Mineral City Mole Man was the Cherokee naiven to local war hero Benaiah Stanhope, Lucas and Rupert&039;s several-greats grandfather, after a not-so-s-up operation at the end of the Last War He ith a group of winged-warriors into the hills, underground, tracking a Major Power, its hu The battle lasted three days, during which the ht and Darkness spilled out over the land in battle dire - the spiritual warfare between Light and Dark The townspeople prayed Benaiah gave his life to save a high-ranking seraph, using his blood sacrifice to coat the chains that bound the Major Darkness The seraphs caround; his body was never recovered Hence the na a chain - an antichain, on that the seraphs captured and bound using Mole Man&039;s blood"

An antichain Like an antidote Now that would suck Habbiel&039;s pearly, scabrous toes When I founde Your visa links you to a Realht You can call on seraphs And this town is about to need some Pretty badly"

I almost told him I didn&039;t kno to use it, but I kept my mouth shut There was a lot I didn&039;t know about the visa and GPS band, just as there was a lot I didn&039;t know about being a e-gift caes were supposed to find their gifts, their source and ies of creation They weren&039;t supposed to have their hts, hopes, and ees weren&039;t supposed to go insane I was different and that difference nearly killed ed, carted out of Enclave, and shipped here I was only half trained I had no idea how to use the visa I&039;d been granted And I had never shared my story with him I almost told hian clearing off the table I sat and wrestled with his words and what hehirace He wasn&039;t sex in motion like Eli Walker on a dance floor He didn&039;t smell like a brothel/candy store like Thadd, or setheat But when hein tight jeans Lucas had a wonderful butt I re underalive," he said

My eyes whipped to his and my face flamed Seraph stones I looked around The table was clear, dishes washed and put away A lot of tis - the very, very good things - about being married to Lucas Stanhope "What?" I asked Not in answer to his question, but to find my place in the entire conversation "What did you say?"

"The third reason I came back was to say I&039;m sorry I&039;m sorry, Thorn I hate that I hurt you I hate that I cheated on you Marrying you was the best, s up was the worst and du ring I&039;d old and a series of ruby chips, si it on his hand? I stared at it, appalled

Though Rupert had shown old and answered questions while I fashioned it froet found in a creek threetotally without help, for the ht I&039;d spend my life with My best friend had watched as I heated and hammered and shaped, watched as I set the stones, not once telling h his disapproval had been clear even then Rupert had known his brother was a cheat

"I love you," Lucas said "I want you back" When I didn&039;t answer, he walked to the door, carrying the now-e, the top folded over and rolled down

I followed hi with the action, but not knohat and not knowing how to stop saying it

"I intend to court you," he said, his voice a low burr He looked over his shoulder at ain" His eyes were resolute, unwavering, fixed on me like blue lasers My belly did a little soht My heart thudded

"You&039;rethe utterly beautiful face in the moment I discovered he had re a beautiful woman "You married Jane Hilton She said so on live television"

"She lied I never married Jane And inthe door open When I didn&039;t reply, he released the door, turned away, and walked down the steps Cold air blew in froht say, and I had a feeling he was disappointed by my reaction, but I didn&039;t knohat to do about it I followed hi our feet echo on the steps

At the shop entrance, Lucas waited as I found the key and opened the door Night had fallen while we talked It was after six and the toas shut up, the citizens safely inside their homes Only fools and evil walked alone in the dark The sleet was long gone and the te Overhead, the clouds were breaking up A black velvet sky peered down at the town, theshadows on white snow Lucas stepped outside

I lifted a hand to tell hiet my sword I would walk hi else and pulled me to him, arm hard around my waist His mouth came down on mine

Warmth and need rose so fast they shockedall at once I heard a moan and kneas me One arm slid low on my hips to support me The other hand slid around my neck to cradle my head My mouth opened His kiss deepened, hardened Distantly, I heard the bag drop My arms went around him

He s else entirely So that flooded , sweet as honey I knew it hadn&039;t been part of ourjoyously, to puddle low in ainst his scalp

His palue touched mine I reeled deeper into the kiss, nearer to the taste of hi, knees weak, the world spinning aroundback, I remembered to breathe, and he kissed my throat, his lips hot onLucas pulled ainst the doorja to him as his mouth sucked the soft skin abovehim It was like the otherness, some part of me noted The sensation I wasn&039;t able to nale scan An otherness I had been afraid to practice, afraid to use because it left me dizzy and befuddled Now Lucas produced the sahtheaded, faint, I pushed at his shoulders Lucas pulled back, his blue eyes black in the diht of the moon "Whas at - " I stopped and licked my lips; they felt tender, swollen "What&039;s that taste?" I ed, only a little slurred "On your mouth? Like anise?"

Lucas stepped away fast, horror on his face I caught myself on the doorjamb with both hands "You can taste it?" he whispered When I nodded, he said, "I think it&039;s manna I think it&039;s manna" With that he turned and walked away, his boots crunching on the hard-frozen snow He didn&039;t look back

Searing-coldabandoned, I eased inside and closed the door Manna? I touched htly Lucas had kissed me I&039;d wanted hiels