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Cerise

Rosa jerked, fighting his grip "You did! I don’t belong to you anyently "One only had to watch that fight to realize that you have forgotten nothing that I have taught you" He took a step forward "I thought I saw you earlier tonight, but you are ht that I realized I wasn’ther back behind hi between the pair of them He shot her a dark look "No"

"Stay out of this," she hissed

"He’s more than you can handle"

"You don’t knohat I can handle"

The disturbing truth was that she was probably right If she was Balfour’s--if she’d ever belonged to hiaze dropped to her hands and memory flickered My hands…don’t touch my hands What the hell had the bastard done to her?

"I can’t let hi frolared at him "I chose Nathaniel And you killed him because you couldn’t bear for ht twitch on that expressionless face Balfour tugged slowly at his gloves, as if thinking The erously reminiscent of Rosa "You should have known not to push …" His voice hardened "And you threw it back in loves in one hand, finally ave you a new hand in the end"

"You chained ave me a sword, and told me I had five minutes to save hilea steel of her fist "You did this to ave you a choice Him Or me You didn’t have to take it"

Somehow she’d found a knife "You broke your word You said if I got there in time, you wouldn’t kill hi her not to do this

"You were late," Balfour finally said "I gave you five e of fury in her eyes a second before she went for Balfour He caught her "Fifteen seconds!" she screa in his arms "Fifteen seconds late! You cut his throat in front of me!"

Balfour’s lips thinned "You only have yourself to blame, Cerise--"

"I’m not Cerise! I’m not! My name is Rosalind"

At that Balfour smiled "Rosalind Hucker, the huave you" He took another step closer, as if sensing that he’d beaten her She was crushed by grief and rage, unable to do what she wanted so desperately And Balfour, the viper, knew it

He reached for her

"Give rip He turned her, putting more distance between her and Balfour’s outstretched hand

The prince consort’s spymaster noticed it Those black, devil’s eyes lit on hi hiret, Lynch"

He still had her knife in his hand Easing her into a chair, curled up upon herself, looking so htened "I never regret anything I do"

In the next second, he had Balfour’s back to his chest, the knife against his throat The falcon took a sharp step forward, then froze

Lynch eyed him "Don’t move or I’ll cut his throat"

"It won’t kill me," Balfour murmured

The pressure of the knife increased "Don’t ever doubtbastard If I want to kill you, then I’ll do it"

"And ill the prince consort say?"

Lynch leaned close enough to put his lips to the older man’s ears "I don’t see any witnesses, do you?"

"There are eyes on us," Balfour replied "Always"

His own little network of spies Lynch glanced at Rosa beneath his lashes She stared up at him ide, tearstained eyes, as if she’d never seen hi more than he was

"Go," he said softly

"What are you doing?" she whispered

He didn’t have ti in the jaw of Balfour’sbefore the falcon caaze darting between the three men "I’m sorry" A whisper for him alone

"So aone, disappearing through the back of the stage, her footsteps echoing in the darkened theatre

"I never took you as a man who’d ever shoeakness," Balfour ave him a shove in the back "I never took you as one either"

Balfour didn’t bother to rub the thin line of blood at his throat "What do you ed to you once, but you’ll never leash her again, Balfour She was meant to fly free, and she’ll never succumb to your will this tiht raced behind the spymaster’s eyes "She was the most like me" A faint tremor of pride traced his words