Page 46 (1/2)
Her fingers touched the one at her navel that had belonged to him; she was able to identify the difference between the two by feel "And this is yours"
Without another word, he gave a little twist, then a pull, and slipped the dainty vis bulla froht help"
Her attention flashed to him Had Wayren told him about the internal battle for her soul? Or was this merely a way to rid himself of any attachain" She looked up "Lilith is aware of ourexchange She was not pleased"
His rooves "Shall I help you?" he said when he saw that she fuers were quick and skillful, warer--as he removed the simple cross Then he pulled taut the little lip of skin at the top of her navel and slipped her own vis bulla into place
It was an oddly inti what had passed between thee of remembrance and her stomach did the silly little flip it tended to do when she was surprisedor disco ebbed, and she realized that having her own vis bulla back in place wascleaner More pure and solid
Maxhis vis, hesitant Then, with ease she’d not shown, he replaced it in his areola and breathed deeply Perhaps he wondered if his Venator poould be restored once he wore his own amulet He turned back to the neat table on which his personal iteathered, and Victoria watched as he slipped the heavy silver ring onto thehi will protect you"
"I’ured it out, butthere is a catch which, whenwith venom A simple prick will do the trick"
"To youor to Lilith?"
"Tohow to save your lover?"
She’d suspected itbut now she knew for certain Max ithdrawing again He ain so that he could walk away And use that bloody silver ring whenever he chose
What aboutback the questions, the demands, the co his back on the Venators? There would be time for that later, time to force him into a conversation he wished to avoid She wasn’t about to let anything happen to Sebastian and Kritanu
The rest of Max’s co he’d said earlier "What do youto lure? It’s you, of course Lilith wants you back and Sara nearly delivered you to her Two in exchange for one Which is why there can be no ‘we’ about this"
Max raised a brow "Indeed? I happen to disagree I believe Lilith wants you more than she does me After all, you’re still a threat to her, unlike me--as you’ve made quite clear so recently And you’ve escaped her for a second tiine how ht, e foiled her plans to kidnap the king And if she believesyou are some sort of rival for myaffections" His expression and tone indicated how absurd that thought was
"Don’t be ridiculous Is this some kind of twisted way for you to try and take control?" She realized she was still standing there with the shirt in front of her She yanked it over her head It sestured to the packet, which lay on the lint of two shades of hair "Apparently you didn’t notice that the e was unaddressed It’s not clear for whom it was intended"
She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it "It doesn’t matter, Max You’re not as well equipped to face her asas you used to be"
If she expected anger from hi you’re forgetting" His lips stretched in a humorless set’s life It’s a game And you’re hed if the situation hadn’t been so horrible In fact, she did give a snort of disbelief "That’s just it, Max You would be moved to save his life The life of anyone, even someone you hate--"
"I don’t hate hireat a to do," she added sharply, re Be Gwen for her happiness "Ever the hero, aren’t you, Max? Always selfless Do you never do anything just for you?"
She realized suddenly that the red haze was nudging the frae of ugly anger bubbling inside her Automatically, she took a deep breath, touched her vis bullae, and shook her head as if to clear it Yet that nobility, that steadiness, hat she loved ht and wrong, black and white
Loved
Her knees treive him for Aunt Eustacia’s death The reason she’d never stopped trusting him Had known he wouldn’t forsake the Venators, even once stripped of his own abilities