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I nodded "Shall I ask hio ahead" He took my hand "Come on Let’s leave theain, "do you think they’ll be okay? One day?"

"You know, Ara?" He stopped and placed both hands on ht I’m sure they’ll be fine--one day"

Self-satisfaction ht, but didn’t want to ruin theas this prophecy child?"

"Yeah" He looked back at Joshua and Max "Iup, but, they do have the option of death--if they want it"

I didn’t like that idea--or the idea that they’d never grow up, never et their first car or have their first beer But this was the best we could do for now, until I figured out all these different agendas and uncovered the truth of the past that we so solidly based our entire future on "So, uroup are successfully adopted out"

"Have you lined up any Lilithian families yet?"

"I’m pleased to say, yes, we have" Mike opened the door forit behind us "And there are even a few vampire families"

"Really?"

"Yeah, nice couples too Very human"

"So, they’re not still mental fro are one’s who’ve been in love with a human before--most of them still with that partner So, they’re only as reat, Mike This is the kind of thing I’ve been needing to hear" I stopped walking and stood on my toes, rinned as I kissed hi"

"Oh, coiveto say I give itI don’t like it, but I understand it Okay? Just don’t letwith him"

"Okay I proive you a hard tio easy on him"

"No, that would be too much to ask for, wouldn’t it?" I remarked sourly

"Ara?" He leaned on the wall "You kno uy Okay? So just let irl and live with it"

"No You can treat Jason civilly, or I go back to being a pain in the arse"

"All right," he huffed "I’ll try to be civil I’ll even spar with hi today, how’s that sound?"

"You know he can put you out, Mike, if you cross him? You better not try to hurt hi him? Where’s the loyalty?"

"You don’t need it He does"

"Just because no one likes him"

"I like him"

"You worrywith Ryder, and losing in front of the entire Guard, I sculled some water doith a couple of aspirin and sat back to watch Mike spar with Eric They were a good , but Mike had brute strength and courage They re over a kill, except, both of the comical observations about each other’s mums

I smiled up at Jason as he sat beside me on the bench by the mirrors, with Petey in tow

"Hey, Ara"

"Hey, Jase Petey" I scratched the dog’s head "Haven’t seen hied "Sometimes we don’t see hio?"

"No one knows, and it’s not like we can ask him, either"

"You can"

"Shh" He looked around at a few knights standing nearby "I rather people don’t know that"

"Oh Okay Why?"

"Because they ht try to use him as a spy"

"How?"

"Kidnap you--threaten to torture you if I don’t tell the, who everyone talks openly around, knows"

"Oh Right Never thought of that" As I sat back again, my blood ran cold, and I looked up ide eyes "Has Petey told you anything I’ve ever said to hi up a bit, while his eyes stayed forward "Maybe"

"Aw, Petey!"

Petey barked once over Jason’s laughter, and Mike looked up to the noise, copping Eric’s fist to the side of his head; he went down, hitting the sparringinto his skull in a knockout strike

The knights roared, so money

"Oops" I shrunk a bit

"It wasn’t your fault, Ara" Jason stood up and peered over the crowd at Eric, propping his foot on Mike’s chest, his ar his own victory "I can’t believe Eric knocked hionna help hio" Jason took off on one foot, but Mike slowly rolled up to sit, rubbing his head

"Toughen up," Eric said, offering a hand

"That was a lucky strike" Mike stu "I pity the next guy to try that"

"I pity Ara" Eric winked at me "She’s the one who distracted you"

Mike threwhis face on a towel

"Sorry, Mike"

"S’okay, baby I was just kidding"

"Good fight,shoulders with him as he came over

"Yeah" Eric swiped blood off his lip "Mike had that round ‘til the end there, though"

"And I’ll have the next one," Mike said, then pointed at Jason "Your turn, villain"

"Bring it on" Jason flipped his chin in Mike’s direction

"Eager for another beating, are ya?" Mike took off to the centre of the roory wolf in a standoff