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Another shiver traveled through her She’d rather be bitten by rattlesnakes than spend ten minutes in the woman’s presence

"She is not all bad," Jean-Pierre said

Fiona looked up at hiive her confidence "You’re so not helping"

He chuckled "She possesses a good heart Unfortunately, it’s buried beneath layers and layers of concrete" He glanced down at his stained battle gear and skin He looked at her as well, his gaze sliding down to encos There was nothing of desire in his expression; instead he frowned "You ant to wear so else as well"

He didn’t think her somewhat conservative enselanced down and her brows rose Several dark streaks and sht in her throat and for a moment she couldn’t breathe She nodded several tie" Evidence of the battle co to meet Madame Endelle battered the support beams beneath her co deep breaths To Jean-Pierre’s credit, he didn’t try to touch her or in any way attempt to settle her down

When she looked back up at hiain she was grateful "Thank you for that"

"For what, chérie?"

"For not ju to make me feel better"

At that he sh occasions to know better"

She put her hand to her chest "Am I that bad?"

"Oui," he answered "Vile, actually Nearly as bad as She Who Would Live herself"

Fiona laughed She thought he must be one of the kindest, most perceptive men she had ever met

She Who Would Live Madame Endelle Her Supremeness She had another name, one that apparently only Thorne could pronounce, one with three clicks froave rise to her abbreviated name and to her nickname, She Who Would Live

Nine thousand years

Unfathomable

Perhaps if Fiona lived to be that old, and carried even half the responsibility that Endelle did, she would also turn into a fire-breathing dragon

Whatever

"Why don’t you fold me to Militia Warrior HQ and I’ll stay there until you’re ready, then you can take e Will that do?"

He nodded "You have a very organizedand obsessive"

But at that, his gaze grew intense "I like your mind, Fiona, very much" A wave of rich, aromatic coffee rolled in her direction

She stared into his eyes, and all her well-ordered plans faded into the background She was struck again by the varied shades in his eyes, the dark blue, the gray, the grayish green and just a few flecks of a off the ocean

What she felt couldn’t be just about the breh-hedden He had taken pains to understand her, to know her, and thatPerhaps the absurd call of va had sunk its claws into both of them, yet it would be so easy to siht now if he had been mean or surly or disrespectful Surely, the profound desire she felt for hiht noever, because he hadn’t crowded her, because he kept the reins light in his hands, she liked him all thefro, war a little to right himself

When he opened his eyes they came only to half- then rising over her name, a caress

She became acutely aware that she was alone with her vae empty couches

She sed hard When he took a step toward her, she planted her hand on the center of his weapons harness, which ers

That forced her to draw back and to blink several times

"Take me to HQ, please"

Half an hour later, Jean-Pierre stood just inside the door of Endelle’s office He tree at the ruler of Second Earth, but he could not interfere He would give his life for Her Supremeness, but there were times, like nohen he wished to put his hands around her neck and squeeze