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They moved off the beaten path Here and there, an old , headed for a bar or trattoria A wo housewife strolled with her baby in a carriage

Another turn They were far from the shops, into aThe lights that fell upon the canal were di fro to work to soak in the tourist dollars by night

It was still Sal’s city War

Ahead was a wide bridge, one that connected two islands of houses They were not too far now froe

Sal barely heard the man in the dottore costu but sensing the whispers

He felt the hands on his shoulders, powerful in a vise that would soon break bone The grip was agony, but even as he opened his mouth to scream, the noise was choked off in the sudden rampant flow of blood

He wasn’t even aware of the razor-honed piercing that seared into his neck, creating the bubble of blood in his throat

Nari was in the center of the Square,up at the sky, appreciating the dying of the day Night soon She could hear the laughter around her, the talk, the languages She could hear theat the bandstand When she concentrated, she could hear more

A pulse

Thulifeessence

Tonight It ht She had a plan in place, and actually,out on her intent here and there wasn’t so bad It was rather like a ga an even sweeter scent of fear And the taste of fear

She started when she felt a grasp on her arnor He had found her Here, in the open

"It stops," he said

She wanted to jerk away furiously She knew that she could not

"Really? What are you going to do with me to make it stop? Kill me?" she taunted

"Put you away," he said quietly

"That’s your intent anyway, isn’t it?" she said softly She couldn’t escape hiainst his cheek

"Ragnor "

He took her hand, forcing her to drop it She set?" she asked

"Do you think that I ever forget?" he cross-queried harshly "I’ you Threatening you, if you like You could have everything, you have a life here, a beautiful palazzo, a title, a position You?"

"You forget yourself, don’t you, Ragnor? I know the legends, that you think yourself so different, but in all honesty, are you so very above us all?"

"All? Many are living?"

"Henpecked Locked into a world like a cage"

"Being rational and surviving Nari, look around you? you have everything!" She studied hi But I knohat I am"

"There’s so much more that you could be"

She rose on tiptoe to whisper in his ear "I like what I am"

"Last time Definitely a threat I could?"

"You could what? Break me here and now? In front of all these people? They’d arrest you, throw you in jail You could escape of coursebut then, what about your face? You couldn’t just wander around all these nice people, then, could you? Damn me and you damn yourself"

"We are already damned," he told her flatly

"So you haven’t!" she h, you always thought you were different" He was different She felt a spaser suddenly that was so violent she could barely contain it She wanted to touch hinor Solid, never faltering Beautiful The rugged planes of his face, the wall of his chest Old regrets died hard Well, she had made her decisions and her choices She had underesti into his eyes, she kneas too late

"There are laws?"

"Their laws? Our laws? What laws?" she taunted "The world is in chaos, Ragnor?hadn’t you noticed?

And ill prevail Foolish fellow! Don’t you know?"

"I know that I can break you?and will"