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Rick screa and sto, "Please, please, please, please," begging for help, for surcease frohtened, as if he were fighting with hi under his breath But he went to work

He took two cases from the twins and shouldered the men out of the way He knelt at Rick’s side and opened the wind instru Evan lifted a wooden flute out of one case, sat on the ground near Rick, and started to play He was an air witch, his power traveling through air as sound The ic in the melody Instantly, Rick’s spas Moments later, Rick relaxed into a limp mass

One twin opened out a fleece blanket and covered Rick Another twin placed h into the air Evan played on

At theat un with a forefinger as a reminder

The twins opened chairs for themselves and their master, and produced a picnic and several bottles of wine, as if they had coottenEvan Maybe even convinced hilass of wine Confused, I took it and followed his pointing finger to Rick Ah Not for lass to his lips Rick drank, sighed again, and closed his eyes The night passed slowly after that I left Rick’s side only to relieve uilty--to cut the round out of Kemnebi’s knee I had aimed just above the joint, and was able to palpate the flattened round easily It had forh, which ery easy I used steel instead of a silvered blade to cut hi and loud, drawing out the note, the sound half cat, half huave me pleasure, I kept it off my face For the first tione I was totally alone

I tucked the bloody silver round in my pocket and removed the silver cuff Under the force of the fullover his form as he sprouted black fur His bones snapped like dry sticks and refor now that the round was gone I clicked the cuff around his back leg the ather hi out of ry I leaped away

Golden-green eyes stared athis teeth, pro away froain, his flesh

Evan’s large fingers were strangely delicate on the flute, anized beat, but one that was organic and , with his lips relaxed on the mouthpiece The music continued with only short breaks for Evan to drink and rest, the tones low andhours, when daas near, I felt thetart and spicy No longer a cal sound, theEvan was atte Rick’s pain His eyes were on theon Evan The twoone another’s strengths and weaknesses

Rick sat up, the blanket falling away to bunch in his lap His chest and arm muscles were harshly defined in the shadows; his black hair had dried in the passing hours, standing stiff; his beard had grown out, rough and scruffy And he was still the most beautiful man I had ever met He pulled his hand from mine and my palm felt the chill, deprived of his heat

The music stopped Evan set the flute in his lap and said, "I think I’ve got a handle on the spell woven into your skin I ured out how to craft a counter-spell melody for it It won’t stop the pain or the eable levels If it works, I can make a CD and you can load it in a player and keep it with you You’ll have to play it all night during full moons"

"And if it doesn’t work?" Rick asked, his voice raspy froht"

Rick chuckled, the sound conveying anger and self-loathing and resignation "Well, what’s not to like in that scenario? Go for it," he said I lifted a hand to stop hian to play The notes were haunting and trilling, rising and falling through the scales, part gypsy, part western Indian--Hopi maybe--part tribal African, part Middle Eastern Rick’s eyes started to glow, a pale arowled A bi

Chill bus and ar huolden, the gold orbs on his shoulder grew bright Theentirely Rick’s eyes returned to his Frenchy-black

The ers of a lover, the touch featherlight, delicate as falling rose petals, but electric and full of power Somewhere deep inside me, I felt movement, the faint click of claws on stone An uneasy sound I eased away froain

An hour later, theEvan Both men looked exhausted and drowsy and oddly content "Thank you," Rick breathed