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"Yes, of course Blauy who had to take a piss" A third voice, sarcastic and dry All three voices were heavily tinged with the boozy kiss of a French accent, which told me they were likely hu

The horses skidded to a stop somewhere to rass and a column of white smoke That had to be the coach I could s into the now repellent scent of barbecued pork Horses whinnied and pawed the earth somewhere nearby, far more beasts than were necessary for the three voices I’d heard I struggled to hold very, very still Blud raped was just as high here as at a frat party back home

"You three, after the slavers Anotherfor survivors Don’t return until you hear the horn Lorn and Vale, with ine hi his balding head under the Franchian sun "I’ too old for this merde"

Even with e tension in the following silence

"I’ to look over there," said the dry voice

"There’s nothing over there, Vale"

"Exactly"

Soft footsteps spelled anger in the dirt He was ot too close, the patchy bushes and grasses wouldn’t conceal ht teal dress Dammit Why couldn’t I have just stayed unconscious for this part or dressed in the boring green of the entle voice was far away and ine a piratical man with the arm of his floofy blouse over hisflesh

Nearerin, I scented a strange ood and bad and spices He reminded me a little of Veruca the Abyssinian, and I assumed he was a half-breed of some sort

"No bodies over here Just a bush" The shout was sarcastic and falsely bright, and I struggled not to grin My teeth clacked together seconds later as his stick poked h several layers of skirt "What ze hell?"

His hands parted the twigs, and in a rabbed hierously close without taking time to look at his face To his credit, he didn’t topple over or shout

Into a caras in the lobe, I whispered, "I ah, he whispered, "Excellent I’m not in the mood to rape"

When he didn’t shout or otherwise broadcastthat he sht, with an undercurrent of soently, no sudden moves, and studiedknees, realizing how close uy Peridot-colored eyes lined in black and set in arded me with a cat’s mixed disdain and curiosity He had a two-day beard that framed full lips and matched his recently shorn hair, which wasn’t normally my preference but worked in his favor He was dressed in all black like the Dread Pirate Roberts, sitting back on his haunches with a loose-limbed confidence that made my limbs a little looser, too His eyes blended in with the lass of chilled wine thatother than blood

"Anything behind that bush, Vale?"

I jerked and flailed at his father’s shouted words, and Vale’s lips curled up, revealing white teeth

His eyes raked fro out from beneath foa which end of a Chinese buffet to start at I’d felt like a stone-cold predator since waking in Sang under Criminy’s bloody wrist, but now irl I have ever seen"

Myplinked against Vale’s back, and he laughed and held up a river-smooth stone for ed, unaffected Barely loudly enough to be heard, he said, "So" Another stone thwacked hiloved hand "Stay here I will return" Before I could respond, he had disappeared, leaving shivering grass and skin in his wake

I flopped onto my back, just in case one of the otherat the lavender-gray clouds, I listened for more footsteps Partly because I wanted to avoid notice and partly because I wanted Vale to co to be licked all over But most of all, I wanted them all to leave so I could find Cherie