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With a hue, there’d probably be chaos, deserters and takeover atteer to meet Aden," Riley went on, "to discover his plans for the clan"

Eager Yeah Right Sorry, Aden, she thought, suspecting he would balk when he heard Looks like you’re gonna have to take one for the team

"Now that the life and death issues are out of the way, you’ve gotta tell lance "After everything you witnessed…I’ve been worried"

"I’m fine, I promise" And she was Yes, at the ball she’d seen hu plates of food by the bloodsuckers Yes, she’d seen Aden fight and ulti hi him where he was ht haunt her for the rest of her life But she was alive, thanks to Aden and Riley, and everything else kinda stoppedwhen compared to that "So, are you okay?" she asked He was a warrior and she had probably insulted hi, but she needed to hear him say it

"I am now," he replied, and they shared a smile A smile that melted her like ice cream in the sun Okay, so Remind him of the rest of the "life and death issues" so you can concentrate on so Riley’s tonsils "It’s probably a good thing nothing’s going to happen with the va with the witches to attend Or rather, Aden does" Ugh She hated even thinking about those witches Hoerful they were How uncaring How she would literally die if Aden didn’t o, those witches had cast a spell over the death spell If, in the next five days, Aden failed to attend soirlfriend Victoria would die

That si was being held or even where the witches were staying Which made it impossible to meet with them

Maybe that had been their intention all along

Stoain…

And yet, the prospect hardly seemed real They had cursed her with death if Aden failed to attend their , yet Mary Ann felt fine Healthy, whole, as if she had decades ahead of her rather than days

Would her heart si actually happen, the spell just a joke? A ht researching witches and spells and ways to break those spells The infor on the source The source she most believed, however, was Riley, and he said spells, once uttered, sparked to unbreakable life

Theotten thenot to scare her? Too late Even though the prospect didn’t seem real, she was still scared out of her mind He believed in the witches’ power coroup would soon die

"Any idea where that h she knew the answer

"Not yet, but I’! Not that she was frustrated with him, of course, but with the entire situation

"It’ll be okay," Riley said, as if sensing her growing upset He probably did He could read auras, and therefore e out I pro bad happen to you"

She trusted him She did More than anyone else in her life He never lied to her He gave her the facts, straight up, unvarnished, no matter how harsh they were

Finally they reached the wall, though they weren’t even close to the gate, and stopped Without a word, Riley leapt to the top of the seven-foot structure, his graceful , he leaned down and offered her a hand

Even that, she had to use all of her strength to reach--and she probably looked like a spastic rabbit, hopping up and down as she stretched to connect with hiers, he pulled her the rest of the way effortlessly

"Thank you For everything," she said as she balanced on the ledge "And not to change the subject, but do you think Tucker will be okay?"

Tucker Her former boyfriend They’d rescued hiht’s snack of choice

Riley juain, the"He’ll survive Unfortunately," she thought she heard hie of jealousy "He’s part de for her "Demons heal faster than humans"

She’d done this so ht her and settled her to her feet, letting her slide down his beautiful body, their gazes locked together Her pal As was hers