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"I thought I told you"

Parisa shook her head

Fiona drew in a deep breath "It was Carolyn’s birthday and I had thought her long dead It never occurred to ht have ascended But that day, the fact that I had been separated frohter, from both my children, from my husband, all that I knew as life in Boston, that I had been abducted and used for such a horrible reason--it all crashed down on me Carolyn would have been a hundred and fifteen" She smiled "And so she is, but I still have you to thank for everything Without you and Antony, I would still be here, in this place, serving up an elixir that sustains Greaves’s army"

Fiona shook off the heavy sensations, and asked if there was a chance in hell Parisa could coirl-ti with Antony but I think even he’s getting weary of playing that role, you kno do you like my hair? What do you think about these jeans and this shirt? And how many times has he looked atyour period?’"

"I know, right? I hate that question Especially when there’s truth behind it"

Parisa sighed "I need a break"

"Don’t we all" But everything see so fast Events crowded her just as they crowded Parisa

Fiona looked back at the porch The uard duty, bodies tense, foreheads wrinkled, eyes skating back and forth, always looking, searching, hunting Their voices were quiet as they spoke to each other

Fiona’s heart lurched Jean-Pierre still had his hair slicked back, and though he wore battle flight gear, she couldn’t help but recall that just a little while ago he’d worn a tux that had weakened her knees Or aze back to Parisa and, dropping her voice to a whisper, asked, "So what’s it like … the breh-hedden, Iall the way?"

She watched Parisa’s co her cheeks while a glow seemed to radiate from beneath her skin Her anificent it is The connection is profound Like right now, I can feel Antony, in an external physical sense--that the royle wings exhibition we put on in Puerto Rico Two last night has chafed hi He can feel rass has , but it’s so much more The connection is … spiritual, if that makes sense" She tipped her head closer to Fiona and added, "And the sex Oh My God" She then shivered fro okay over there?"

"See what I mean?" she whispered to Fiona, then aloud over her shoulder, she said, "We’re fine"

Fiona found it hard to steady herself She actually spread her fingers on both hands as though trying to find her balance But the thought of sex being more than it already ith Jean-Pierre had put herto the earth, then righting her wings at the last second and flying upward … fast

Because of all that had happened at Dark Spectacle, the breh-hedden was suddenly a possibility that it had never been before, and a strong, intense longing gripped her chest

She turned andat the outdoor chapel had happened just a handful of days ago, but the distance she had traveled in her relationship with Jean-Pierre felt like htly and dipped his chin, a question in his eye, but she could only look at hiine just what the breh-hedden wouldit?" Parisa asked, again her voice very low

Fiona looked back at her She se-old questions, Are you going to do it? What do you think it’ll be like? Everyone says it hurts

She had only one reasonable response to Parisa’s question but it came out as a simple nod

Parisa squealed "You’ll love it, and believeI s spectacle event nearly every night"

"Does it get old, the royle wings show, I mean?"

Her face drew into a knot She shook her head "Not really It’s an a peace and I can actually feel the crowd’s response But Antony is not happy"

"He doesn’t like the performances?"

"It’s not that He hates, Iwith his brothers at the Borderlands I think the whole thing, as important as it is, makes him feel like a traitor He’s not, but he knohat Jean-Pierre and Thorne and the others are going through"

Fiona nodded "And with Jean-Pierre serving as uardian, Colonel Seriffe has had to put more of his Militia Warrior squads on the front line Yeah, the whole thing is out of control But I guess you know the latest, the explosion in Las Vegas Two"

Parisa nodded "Marcus let Antony knoas going on He said you were instru all those people out How?"