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"What do youwhy the heckwhen my mother hit me with a spell that was intended to eviscerate me on the spot It was only because she’d drilled ed to escape" She blinked back the tears that threatened She didn’t cry for that terrified girl who’d fled the cottage that night Not anyerous smoldered in the depths of his pale eyes "It’s a dalared at the female who continued to screith his e pity for her? What did he care if her psycho mother had tried to kill her? Or that she didn’t knohat sort of de more than an effect of the spell

Well, that wasn’t entirely true, he was forced to concede For the h her veins was very much his concern

Darowled

"Besides healing, I can see better in the dark, although not as good as you And I’h her tangled hair, her expression one of self-derision "Oh, and I think I enes"

He frowned, trying to ignore just how vulnerable she looked with her pale face covered with dust and the purple shadows beneath her eyes

This female was his enemy

Period

"And you can compel others to your will?" he snarled

She flinched "Not exactly"

"Then explain exactly what it is you do"

She heaved a frustrated sigh "Over the past few years I discovered I can, on a rare occasion--a very rare occasion," she emphasized, "I can influence someone"

"Influence?"

She nervously licked her lips, the tiny gesture sending a jarring bolt of desire through hiet rid of the spell

"Okay, I’ll ad in potency, but I swear I didn’t think for a minute that it would actually work on a va her arm as if it bothered her "I was just so desperate I had to try soed off her lame excuse "That’s ridiculous Why would you be desperate?"

"Are you kidding eon with the threat that a deht track uilt

It wascontempt

If she was so terrified of Gaius, then she shouldn’t have joined his demented band of misfits

Even if she had been abandoned--no, nearly killed--by her es going through her body?

He gave a disgruntled wave of his hand He couldn’t trust his thinking Not when he was under the influence of her spell

"We’ll finish this conversation once we’ve returned to Styx’s lair"

She backed away, shaking her head even as she dug her fingernails into the sleeve of her sweatshirt, scratching at her inner arm "No way"

"Don’t press ether as his frustrated glare shifted to where she rubbed at her ar?"

"My arry breath "Probably because I’et their jollies froaveas the enticing scent of peaches teased at his senses Damn witch "You want to see the last of oddamn spell"

She actually pretended to be puzzled "What?"

"I’rabbed her by the shoulders, his grasp tight, but oddly careful not to bruise "Take it off or I promise you that you’ll be very, very sorry"

She futilely tried to pull away "The spell was broken the moment I passed out"

"I don’t believe you"

"It’s only a te e reached the end of the tunnel By the ti You’re trying to use me in some nefarious plot"

"Nefarious?" shestraight into her wide eyes "You bitch"

"Chill," she rasped, her dark eyes flashing with irritation "And watch what you call e