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The training hall see it Mike fitted a rabbed a sword

"Why do we need protection?" I rubbed the cuff on my arm "We’re vampires We won’t die froy it uses to heal a slash every ten seconds? That energy--that blood--is better spent cutting up bad guys on the battlefield, Ar"

"Oh" I shoved a finger under it to scratch , and…I know this is probably a really stupid question, so don’t get mad, okay?"

"Sure, baby, what is it?" He jah to cut vampires open with a butterknife, why do we need Lilithian steel blades? I thought that was just so hu me a sword froain, take h to bleed them out and let the venouarantees the best possible result"

"Is their skin really that tough?"

Mike s, do you, girl?"

I sith a little gulp He was right I hadn’t really thought about any of this I guess I just took it for granted that I was a va and waving of swords until someone wore out and went hoer grin drawing me into battle "Let’s do this"

I twisted rip, then extendedthe length ofPoint your blade upward, like this" He showed me how one is supposed to hold a sword

I shook my head "I have my own style It’s non-conventional, Mike, but this works forhis head

"It does Just watch"

"Fine," he said, and his deep, godly tone led h the air in a figure eight, then dropped round caught rabbed his ankle while he was still looking forhi his blade with a loud clunk, and I was on his either side of his chest, , his face red with obvious pain, and held "

I laid my sword on the floor beside us "Still think I need to hold my sword ‘properly’?"

He knocked my hands down froed"You’re fine, baby You hold that sword however you want--long as you fight like that"

I sristly stubble along his hairline behind his ear It felt good to be this close to hi He let aze of my bestest friend in the whole world "I’vehis big hands around rinned mischievously

"Yeah," he said, his eyes small with the relaxation his body stupidly felt while under uard down," I said

He had ti enough roorabbed his shoulder and flipped hi his head in place by the scruff of his hair

"Hey, guys," Falcon said as he caain?"

Mike’s ar at the elbows to knock my wrists away; my blade tore across his throat with the force, while the roll of his hips sent s open around him "Maybe just a little"

I pushedhi "You’re just ehed and eased off ht You’re just too quick for nored it and rolled over, cla clumsily toblood off his neck "You’re right You did But you let your guard down, baby, and the battle flipped in my favour"

"Well--" I dusted rin, then back at Mike "It won’t happen again"

The boys laughed behindhall, into the cool sprinkle of sule torch in the corner under the stone steps gave little light to the roolate to the council o, but where were the rest of them?

Somewhere up in the Throne Roo ust of air rushed down the tunnel of stairs, sweeping the roundness of the roo round

"Looks like even the fla up In the darkness, it alh I knew the roof was h for that I felt my way around the cold stone curve of the table and wandered, hands out, to the wall under the stairs, finding the ht where we usually left it The birth of the flalow I rested it to the wick of the torch; it sizzled and flourished into a bold, bright light again, touching the shadows in the corner under the stairs I quickly looked around to hed, h-pitched voice, co?"

"You knohat I’"

I dropped the unstruckmyself in the shadows

"Yes, I think I do, and I can’t say I’m terribly impressed"

As they walked in and sat doith their backs toof Blade’s heart would hide my own But they seemed too distracted by their conversation to even notice

Blade rested his head in his hands "I just don’t get it Why ahed softly "It’s the curse of her blood--Lilith’s blood"

"Queen Lilith?"

"No, the original Lilith History reports that she was cursed with beauty beyond iination and the burden of desire This was believed to have been a punish her to eat the Fruit of Wisdoaine touched Blade’s shoulder "Cain, Lilith’s husband, had been cursed for the murder of his bother with a thirst for blood All who take the poison of the cursed inherit the burden For the Created, we simply became vampires, but any who descend from the bloodline of Lilith will take the hearts of men It’s why Lilith was known in history as the Goddess of Seduction"

"I don’t get it? What does that have to do with this?" He pressed his hand to his chest

"Because any man that piques her interest will be cursed to love her"

"So--this isn’t real? It’s just that she, what, Amara fancies me? That’s why I feel like I’ll die if I don’t hold her?"

"Yes"

"But I don’t have any feelings for hier in Blade’s direction; they both spun around, shock paling their faces "I don’t How can he be cursed if I don’t feel anything for hi back a little "Did you ever feel a flutter in your heart for him--maybe for a certain action--perhaps he was kind, perhaps a certain s,to defend aine added