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"Yeah" Mike looked at " My hands fell on my hips "I don’t care if you try to stopwith you"

Everyone looked at h after the coronation The whole process eaken her"

"Don’t care I’ain

"What if we leave it for a week or so--the attack?" Falcon asked Morgaine "Will she be strong enough then?"

"I would bet h his nose "Fine Okay You can co

"But, we can’t leave it toohis forces--killing hued ht Maybe we should attack now I couldn’t stand the thought of all those people dying every day for a thing as siene to beco through their conversations Everyone looked at me "If he plans to attack our vampires, they’ll need to be immune Hoill he do that without our blood?"

A cool calm washed over the room "No one but us knows about iured that out"

"But…he survived an attack with a tipped blade He must know about it"

Mike looked at Falcon, who looked at ht of that, Princess," Falcon said "You needn’t worry Let us do that part for you, okay You need to focus on your coronation"

I nodded I wanted to argue, but I knew Falcon was right

"Right," Mike said, then looked at the four guards "And, guys? I want to brief you again over the knighting ritual before afternoon training today"

"Sounds good to me" Ryder smiled

"Second that," added Blade

"Great" Mike looked around the rooaine touchedat Mike "Okay, can you call this ht then" Mike picked up the phone "Meeting adjourned David? I’ll call you later," he said and hung up without letting oodbye first

"Mike?" Eht’ve wanted to talk to David"

"Oh" He looked at me then the phone in his hand "Sorry"

I shook hts fled up the stairs in a crowd of excited hurry, laughing and bu each other until their noise disappeared Eric touched my shoulder, s two steps at a time

"I’ll see you up there" Mike kissed Emily on the cheek, then disappeared too

"Nervous?" Emily sat beside me

"A little How’s David?" I asked

She looked over aine, then smiled back at me "Actually, he’s a er He’s fine when he’s focusing on work, but he hasn’t got a lead on your fa in La Château de la--lysium," she corrected "He’s miserable"

"Hence the pizza" I ss are serious," I joked, but Emily bit her lip "Oh, Em--don’t tellaway, and he hates that he can’t be here tonight--to see you take your oath"

I sed "I hate it, too But I’ll bet you’re happy you’ll be here for the knighting cere between ht"

"Do you think that’s why he was so insistent we ed "Maybe"

"I’ain, he is pretty anxious to get in there and kick sohed "Yeah, o without ht?"

"And what if you’re right, Ara?" Emily said "What if they do need you there to kill Drake?"

I nodded "That’s the only reason I didn’t pipe up and say soaine took my other hand and pulled ht now We need to go dress you for your big night"

"Okay"

"Right, and, E looked back at her as we reached the stairs

"Yeah?"

"Coive Aht she wasn’t allowed to eat today"

Morg set her through"

"Rule breaker," I said; she just shrugged

"Now, remember, there are strict rules to adhere to--foraine said sternly "No s except your oath, show no emotion, no pain, no joy, no fear--"

"I know," I ht And ree of the forest, after the Walk of Faith, you h the reflection of my dresser mirror

"I’m sorry, Amara I don’t mean to be hard on you--it’s just…we have these rules for a reason Royalty is so our people" She sat down on rew up in, Princess, no one cares about formalities anymore But we still do You " I rubbedon h tone, then stood up "Now, let’s go over this one er to the Stone and use it to ue over ht The blood of the lips to bind ers and showed an open palm "Blood of the hand to hold the proe to rule with that which guides the soul"

I touched a hand to ger intotoo deep It only has to be fro the heart, Amara--you don’t actually have to stab your own heart"

"And what if I do?"