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There were two dead creatures at Azriel’s feet, and a heartbeat later a third joined the the rooh, but neither wound looked particularly deep

His gaze met ht?"

"Yes" I hesitated, eyes widening a little as my stomach rose "Make that a no"

I bolted for the sink Azriel was beside h he offered no coh

"To repeatup "Are you all right?"

"Yes" I turned on the tap, scooped up so to spend the next nine uy carks it, I’ to be royally pissed"

"So this is a result of the pregnancy?" He tucked a stray strand of hair behind ave hi she did nothing but throw up in the first tried to hold on to ood bet that being pregnant is the problem"

"And is this" – he motioned toward the sink, his expression bemused – "a common problem with nonhuman females? Because it does not seem very efficient to me"

I grinned "Is that how reapers go through pregnancy? Efficiently?"

"Of course It benefits the mother and the child to do so"

"Well, this mother has always had probleentle finger and dropped a kiss on "

I raised my eyebrows "I’’ Especially when there are lots of other adjectives I’d much rather hear"

His warm smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, and ’ be better? Or ‘captivating’?"

"They’re a start," I said primly Then I waved a hand at the creatures "What were they?"

"Soh not one I’ve come across before" His smile faded, and the room see suggests our sorceress has fled It is doubtful ill find anything of use"

"Probably, but we should still look"

"I wasn’t suggesting otherwise" He paused and sheathed Valdis "Perhaps we should start upstairs, in her bedroom That is where she kept her tools of trade"

I pushed away from the bench and led the way to the stairs "Which she’ll undoubtedly have taken if she has fled"

"Undoubtedly But she ht have left in a rush, so it is always possible she has forgotten so"

"She had a three-day head start, thanks to the fact I was drowningwhat I should have been" My voice was heavy with annoyance – atIt’s what had allowed Hunter to get her claws in me, and it’s the reason Azriel had been scarred --

"Risa, enough" He caught e what has already happened We can only affect the future As for acting without thinking --" He paused, and his sudden ss I adore about you Please never lose it, because there has been far too little spontaneity ined hi his dark hair

He gently kissed the nape ofback"

"It is not logical to thank hter rolled through me I pulled back, dropped a quick kiss on his lips, and said, "That’s not exactly true given you can look like anyone you wish"

"Ah, but you only ever see my true form, and I’m extremely thankful you happen to desire it I’d hate to spend eternity atte to look like someone else"

"But it could certainly put a new spin on sexual dress-ups" I turned and headed up the stairs "And don’t ask why anyone would want to dress up for sex, because this is neither the tiree, but the concept is intriguing"

"And much fun"

The master bedroom ice the size of mine and, like the rest of the place, pin-neat – almost sterile The first time I’d been in here there’d been little evidence that anyone actually used this room, despite the clothes in the vast walk-in wardrobe and the pair of intricately carved Chinese sideboards that had sat in the ic I had not wanted to go near