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Her eyes widened in disbelief, but her protests were interrupted as the door opened again Persia returned with two aruards "My mother will see you now--just Dr March"

Mae strode across the roo without uard took over "Callista’s orders He goes alone" He tightened his grip on his gun, and Justin could tell fro how to disaro," Justin told her He’d seen too ’s okay"

"Going off with unlicensed zealots with illegal guns?" she asked incredulously "Nothing about that is okay"

The guards’ faces darkened Persia stepped forward "I swear, nothing will happen to him MyMae’s eyes "Trust o too if I don’t co for several tense moments Finally: "Fine If he’s not back in an hour, I tear this place down around you"

The guards looked skeptical, but they stayed outside the door when Persia led him away She took him to the far side of the house, to double doors that opened into a bedroo silk robe, brushing her hair in the lanced up at their approach "Thank you, dear You can go" Persia retreated, closing the doors behind her

Justin stood there waiting as Callista finished her hair and then rose gracefully to her feet,to do it in a way that let the robe make the most of her body "Always drauess that’s part of the job"

She brushed her lips against his cheek "Lovely to see you again Shall we talk?"

"Here?" he asked

"I didn’t think you’d o outside" She glided over to a set of glass doors and stepped out into the war a table already set with candles and wine on a garden terrace More dra and then leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs so that the robe slipped off of one of theht and then looked back at him with a smile "Are you here to arrestelse" He took a drink of the wine, some kind of deep red that Do your forh you were the one I ulti How is Mr Arrow these days?"

"Awaiting trial He tried to drug servants of the government"

Callista’s lips curled in disdain "He was always so stupid Using tricks instead of the discipline needed to get real power It’s half the reason I left"

"That, and it’s easier to gather followers in unregulated borderlands?"

"It’s becoulated every day," she said "Bit by bit, the RUNA’s blanket of unifor this place"

Justin wasn’t fooled "Don’t act like that’s a bad thing You grew up in civilization You know it’s better than having a bunch of arullible they are"

"Speaking of armed nutjobs…" Callista’s expression of easy chared leader who had ordered around Menari’s people "What the hell were you thinking bringing her here?"

"Why do you keep saying that? I didn’t bring her to you We were captured"

Callista traced the edge of her wineglass, gazing into its depths by the candlelight "I never thought I’d see the day so with soed with you"

"Traveling with a prætorian’s not that weird," he countered "Especially in light of today’s events"

Callista jerked her head up "She’s a prætorian?"

"Isn’t that what you’re talking about? How else do you think she did what she did?"

"You kno she did what she did! She’s an undisciplined and uninitiated elect," she snarled No more flirtation now "Chosen by someone powerful from the looks of it It was a wonder the rest of thelaot a lot more control since the last time I saw you I didn’t actually think you’d e"

"I haven’t," he said firod follows her?"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>