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Red Hat s slowed down as if ere all underwater

Jim’s knife sliced, across, down, across the other way, still so fast, like lightning The blade glanced off Red Hat’s neooden skin Red Hat bared his teeth and swung his giant fist Jiraceful, and thrust The knife bit deep into Red Hat’s left eye The big ed ure how to break the seal without hurting myself I didn’t have a week

Outside thepeople screaic cord and jerked It broke, leaving dark stripes of burned flesh across my hands Pain lashed rabbed the man by his shoulders, and pulled hiht o," Jim breathed

"No!" I pointed to the prisoner "I can’t leave him Help me"

Red Hat spun toward us, screa, the knife still in the socket of his eye

Jim cut, once, twice, and the prisoner’s hands came free Another cut took the mask fro Asianfrom a Chinese watercolor--absolutely flawless

The eyes of purest turquoise stared at me and within their depth I saw a spiral of fire

Oh no

The prisoner surged to his feet Magic unfurled fro the translucent outline of a scaled beast on four sturdy s

Jim pushed me behind him and raised his knife

Transparent claws the size of on formed upon the massive shoulders The prisoner stood within the beast, still clearly visible His hair had broken free of the bandages and it strea dark wave

Red Hat froze in midstep

The old ht criers and bit at the translucent beast The prisoner waved his arm, and the serpent sparked and h the door

The Suanaped open

Red Hat turned and started running

Fire burst froht the olda charred ruin of a body The s corpse took two steps toward us and fell

Ji to shield et out, but the fire fanned hot, all-powerful Screams filled my ears I shutwent on forever

Finally the roar stopped I pulled on turned and looked at us Jirowled, and his clothes exploded off his body His skin ripped, releasing , muscle for the coils of black rosettes against a thin golden pelt A new creature stood in Jiuar in the warrior fors, and stepped between me and the prisoner

The Suanlish "There is no need to fear on blood in his veins I sed "We e "I’d cohtered and I was hurt I ca for medicine, but I lost consciousness and I awoke here Nine e while they carved pieces of e and waiting to be cut again Nine months Felt like forever"

"It was a bad dream," I told him "It’s over now"

"For me, yes" Thethe sht"

I took a deep breath "We don’t want to be a part of their nighto?"

The Suanmi bowed his head, his turquoise eyes fixed on er"

I bowed back Just let o and we’ll call it even

"When you wish to collect it, come here," the Suanmi said "It is my place noill take it froifts to their new emperor"

He turned and walked away, deeper into the house

Jied his neck and then ere out in the courtyard Around us people ran in panic Ss

"What the hell was that?" Jie on had nine sons, each with their oers Turns out the nine sons gave rise to nine families He is a descendant of the son ields fire"

"He’s part dragon?"

"Yes!"

"I don’t care if he’s part dragon If he looks at you like that again, I’ll cut his face off"

"How did he look at me?"