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"Neither of us was doing "

"Yeah, well, at least you had enough sense to stop" She pushed her hair away froot carried away"

She was eure that out The fetching blush staining her cheeks was evidence enough "Don’t ever be sorry for that I love it that you got carried away Makes rin played at the corner of her roin where his erection was straining at the fly of his jeans "If you were any manlier, you’d scareabout it, it won’t go away"

"And that would be bad because?"

There was only one way this conversation could go and it was down to the grass with both of theet back to the van I wouldn’t put it past Thooing?"

"We found a trail leading to the nest where we think the Synestryn took Kevin’s sword It’s outside Spring Hill, not far fro to follow it and take the sword back, right?"

"Exactly If we’re lucky, the Synestryn will be out hunting and on’t have to fight the whole nest of theet the sword back"

"You said it was invisible How are you going to find it?"

"It’s only invisible when it’s being worn Gilda imbued all our swords with that power so we could carry them without interference from human authorities"

"Is that why it looks like your sword just appears out of nowhere?" she asked

"Yeah Want to feel it?"

She arched a dark brow "Please tell me you did not just ask h It felt good to laugh and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed such a siht her hand and laced his fingers through hers as they walked over the grass to the van Tho load Miss Mabel into Slade’s beat-up pickup truck while Car in a quiet voice to Vance He didn’t look happy, but he gave her a hard hug and watched her as she drove away in her own rattletrap

"I’ood-bye to Miss Mabel," said Helen

He almost told her to make it quick, but held back It wouldn’t hurt them to wait an extra minute for Helen to reassure herself as well as the old wo to need her mind free of distractions for the next few hours

Drake followed Thoathered up an aran’s van His friend didn’t even et us all killed"

O-kay So ive up yet, Thomas There’s still time for us to find another woman like Helen She can’t be the only one"

"I knoin to your shit Just lay off"

"Sowhat? I get lucky and you can’t even be my friend anymore? Is that it?"

Tho in his arround And the e ar a look Drake had never seen on his face before Hopelessness Despair "I want to be happy for you, Drake, but it’s too late for that"

"The hell it is We’re like brothers As soon as we find Kevin’s sword, Helen and I will help you hunt for another female Theronai I know she ant to do that for you"

"What part of ‘it’s too late’ do you not get?" Thoritted his teeth in an obvious effort to control hilimpse of the man he remembered Gentle Kind Patient His voice was a quiet whisper of defeat and he pressed his hand over his lifemark as if it ached "I’ over ht and I can’t control it"

"No," said Drake, refusing to believe it was true "You can’t give up yet Helen changes everything"

"For you, yes Not for me"

"Promise me you’ll hold on until we can find your Helen"

"No"

"Da He picked up the supplies he’d dropped and left the farry step, Drake could seeaway