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Helen flinched at the unexpected sound of so ht smile curved her mouth when she saw Helen’s startled reaction

Gilda opened her hands and the sword floated over the heads of all the men and slain"

Chapter 18

Suddenly, Helen was no longer so eager to see what Gilda had to show her Based on the sly s to like it

Drake’s arhtened around her waist and he pulled her close to his side "Brace yourself," he whispered to her

Helen had no idea what he iant ring of fire erupted fro them all in

Helen hadn’t braced herself for so like that, and she let out a shriek of terror The fire was only feet froh and roared with an alry sound

"You’re fine Just breathe" She heard Drake’s soothing voice in her ear, but it didn’t help Her heart was pounding and she was frozen in terror There was nowhere she could have run, anyway; she was surrounded by fire on all sides Hungry, growling fire that wanted to eat her alive

She felt Drake shove his way into her hts, but he was there She could feel his cool, coes of her terror

"I won’t let you get hurt," he whispered directly into her thoughts She had no choice but to listen to him and try to believe hi hands and forced her to look in his eyes With his hands acting as blinders and his face filling the rest of her sight, she could no longer see the fire She could hear it, she could sense its greedy presence only feet away, but the rest of her senses were filled with Drake She could s over hers, filling her, driving her out of her mind with pleasure

She was confused by such an intensely positive memory in the midst of so ear

She pulled a deep breath back into her lungs and let it out again

"That’s right Just breathe I’ve got you"

The panic receded enough that she could focus on staying calht around his wrists and she forced herself to loosen her grip "I’m okay," she told him It was far from the truth, but not so far that she couldn’t pretend she believed it

"Good You’re doing great, Helen" He gave her a proud s a co to take my hands do, okay?"

She nodded

"The fire is still going, but it can’t hurt you Do you understand that?"

Not really, but she nodded anyway

Slowly, Drake took his hands down and she could see fire in her peripheral vision Her breathing sped, but sheto do this, da to let this fear of fire beat her Especially not in front of Gilda That’s what the woman wanted--for Helen to admit defeat before she’d even had a chance to try

Drake straightened so that she was staring at his chest She focused on the paler band of skin around his throat where the luceria had been for years The rest of his skin was lightly tanned She could see the tips of the leafy branches of his tree peeking out from under his open collar

Helen didn’t want to look away Drake was a ht than the fire, but she had to be tougher than that So she was She gritted her teeth and turned her head so that she had no choice but to see the wall of fire only feet behind thee and it took herpile of panic that threatened to overwhelm her She clamped down on that panic and controlled it by a sheer force of will

"Is your lady well?" asked Gilda with a hint of sness in her tone

"Do you want me to make them stop?" Drake asked Helen in a voice et this over with"

Drake raised his voice and addressed Gilda "She is ready, Gray Lady"

Helen was about to ask him why he’d called her that when she saw Gilda lift her arms over her head This time, Helen braced herself for the worst, but no round Instead, on the far side of the circle where the e The e blond man with a scarred face--shimmered, as she’d seen Drake’s sword do when he was about to draw it When the wavering stopped, he no longer looked human He looked like one of those mosquito monsters