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I stepped through the opening into the glare of noonday sun, so bright it blinded round into the earth I caught a whiff of hu s wheezed as my cloak was torn away and my hands were twisted behind ht Seraph stones Hu hands and yanked to my feet by my hair and my injured shoulder I yelped And caator

With a balled fist, he ripped away ut I bent over, retching Pain spiraled out, settling in each cut, each burn My flesh glowed so bright even the hue lifted the crucifixes from a fold of my dobok and stared at theotten I wore theo the crosses and they bounced on my chest They too were clotted with blood He spotted the lump in my shirt and took a knife - one of mine, the bastard - and cut open round It was pale, drained, almost colorless, like the quartz that filled the th while underground? Yeah Likely Durbarge kicked it away, and it rattled a few feet down the slope

"Lock her up," he barked I was lifted off ed to a helicopter A cruel hand jerked me up inside by one forearm, wrenched behind h e, about three feet on a side The door swung open and I was thrown inside

I landed hard, face on cold led, full of waste and pain I was in a dog cage I was so tired, I sluly - I fell asleep

My world rattled, waking me I opened my eyes to find steel frozen to ht ball I tore surface skin onas I scuttled upright A foot kicked the cage again Bleary-eyed, I craned er, callous, fleshy features, blue eyes, blond hair He squatted down tohe had e?"

I tried to form words, but h ripped muscles already tortured with co he had no intention of giving a neo and rolled back down, closing ain, rattlingacross the floor

With my arms bound, I couldn&039;t protect s and shoulders Grittingthe treatot from an assey today, I could count myself lucky Red-hot pokers and sharp blades would be next

"Stop that, Richards!"

I swiveled e called off his toady

"Give her some water And leave her alone I have plans for her"

I was sure none of those plans called for treatingh the food slot, a narrow space where a pet&039;s food tray would normally have been passed No one bothered to take off hts, Richards laughed softly and walked away

At the sight of the water sloshing gently in the bottle, fury flamed instone I shivered in the cold,I looked down at the crucifixes bouncing on ore One was partially melted and nicked Another was charred and tarnished, crusted over with a white fil I grinned, baring teeth at Richards&039; back Stupid huain and could tell it ater "Well, crack the Stone of Ages," I whispered, swearing on Saint Peter&039;s head, a branding offense, if an elder should ever hear ain, rattling the tiny cell, letting the silver chain twist and tith theover The body of the dead Christ landed on my burned and lacerated skin, squarely on a cut crusted over with ereye flared I closedunder my breath "Body shaped and formed of stone, fill my flesh and ease my pain Make the power froereye war a bit, just enough to take the edge off pain and thirst, like a handful of aspirin h for es are smaller than hue wasn&039;t as much an impediment to me as it would have been to a hued , and then shackled in an unnatural position, tore and pulled, hurting like I was being beaten again I ignored theot h I couldn&039;t see hih the mass of hair that had loosed froain "She&039;s a feisty one, ain&039;t she?"

I shookthe side wall of the helicopter Beside him sprawled another human I remembered him instantly froe and heated sexuality Eli The miner His mouth quirked down in a frown at Richards&039; words

With a booted foot, Richards nudged e hadthe amethyst The upper curve of my breast was exposed, skin prickled in cold He spoke so it wouldn&039;t carry "Durbarge has plans for you, witch And when he&039;s done, you andfor a little ride"

I didn&039;t think he h the park I blewhim with my eyes "Good," I said, voice scratchy with thirst "Because I&039;ll use that ride to turn you into a mule And I&039;ll eat the severed parts"

Eli chuckled Richards paled and stepped back, before kicking the cage with enough force to send it into the rear wall of the helicopter I laughed and wanted to add, "With fava beans and a good Chianti," but I couldn&039;t reured he wouldn&039;t know the Pre-Ap movie reference anyway