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"Life withlow "You said for eternity?"

"Absolutely, Garreth" She laid her palainst his stubbled cheek "I&039;ain"

His eyes arold once le - the sex or secrets deal," he said "Except now it&039;s eternity or secrets?"

"Basically, yes I need some happiness I need you to help ? Every secret you hold?"

"I will, in tiainst the wall "You canna kno much I&039;ve wanted to hear you tellin&039;lost "And I want to one under like this, it&039;s possible I will again If you were ever endangered I&039;ve got to be "

She clutched his shoulder "Then I won&039;t let you" He was still shaking his head when she said, "Garreth MacRieve, you&039;ve gotten your ith ain Now it&039;s oing to denymoments, he exhaled and faced her once azed at her with so ered her - as if noould no longer hide it "Tellher into his lap, holding her against his chest

"I love you, Garreth With all my heart"

"Then I&039;ll take your eternity You&039;re tae rin "I thought you&039;d never dogmatically order it" Then her sin there for the assist? "Wait, I-I can&039;t Not yet"

"Why the hell no&039;?"

"Garreth, in&039;s been gone for days - it&039;s not like her to disappear And I can&039;t get married without her there with , then we&039;ll find her" He tipped her face up, gazing down at her "Especially if you will no&039; wed ently brushed his lips against hers "But first things first Do you have a key to our cell?"

Chapter 52

"What&039;s happened here, lass?" Garreth asked the nextabsence Earlier, Lucia had been in high spirits, optiin She&039;d wanted to fit in a quick visit with Emma - and a Valkyrie raid on the queen&039;s notoriously extensive wardrobe - so Garreth had fled to share a farewell scotch with Lachlain:

"You&039;re off again?"

"Aye, afraid so, brother"

"Garreth, one thing before you go you marked her hard, no?"

Now, Garreth found Lucia pensive "What&039;s got you upset, love? Is it because you&039;ve seen how pitiably Lachlain spoils Emma? Know that I&039;ve planned the sa her face

The faint sle stretch of dreaht, as soon as Lucia and Garreth had been released froun recuperating in Garreth&039;s old rooether, talking some more - then she&039;d sluhtmares

"There&039;s been news," Lucia said, beginning to pace "I just talked to Annika" Also not one of Garreth&039;s favorite Valkyrie "She told "

"What do you ht some berserker had her" Garreth and Lucia had planned to head out for New Orleans, interrogate Nïx for leads, and find the berserker Then Garreth would teach the male how ill-advised his actions had been

"Allin from every corner of the Lore," Lucia said "Creatures from across all factions have been taken Which means it&039;s not Aidan the Fierce who&039;d abducted her"

"Who else got grabbed, then?"

"Who hasn&039;t? So far there&039;ve been confirmed reports of a siren, one of the fey, an arch fury - "

"Arch? You doona s They don&039;t often rise froave a mock shudder "A witch called Carrow Graie, also known as Carrow the Incarcerated, was taken around the sain Carrow&039;s best friend to Mariketa the Awaited - and Mari is displeased The entire House of Witches is up in ar"

"So it&039;s so out the Valkyrie and their allies?" Which now meant the Lykae as well Over the past year, Lachlain had made sure that all Loreans understood his clan was a steadfast ally to the Valkyrie - whether the Valkyrie wanted them to be or not All the Lykae were in full support of this, especially since their queen and princess were from that faction

Lucia shook her head "That&039;s just it We were accused of taking out players from the other side A couple of Sorceri, some fire demons, a centaur viceroy, even one of the Invidia are all , too"

The Invidia were female embodiments of discord, purely evil The centaurs and fire deainst the Valkyrie in Accessions past The Sorceri were unknown entities who could slide either way on the evil scale

Lucia added, "There are ru"

"Now, that va for payback - and a thumb," he pointed out "Does Nïx have any ideas?"

"She hasn&039;t been lucid Annika told ht after I spoke with her last She&039;s been ibberish for days"

"Doona worry We&039;ll unravel all this," Garreth said "And we&039;ll find your sister"

She bit her bottom lip "We&039;ve just finished one ain" She crossed to the balcony that overlooked the gardens

Garreth followed - he would always follow her, as any ould histhe scene A light Highland fog was rolling in, carrying the tang of the nearby sea

"You were right all along, Scot I ah-maintenance" She sounded remorseful, which wouldn&039;t do

"Aye, but you&039;re high-output as well" He gave her arse a possessive squeeze

"Werewolf!" she cried, but her lips had briefly curled

He took her in his arms "The truth is that I&039;d rather march into hell with you than bask in heaven without you" He curled his forefinger under her chin "And lass, going to help Regin will be a little like hell for me"

She knuckle-punched his arm "You didn&039;t just say that!"

"I&039;," he said, then added in all seriousness, "It happens that I owe Regin one You said you wanted to live out your irievesone&039;s our neighbor on some seashore" And until you&039;re my wife

Her dark eyes widened "You promise?"

"Aye, but that does no&039; azed away "Still, I&039; you frorounds "Deep down, you&039;ve got to be disappointed that s withher tight to his chest before he finally eased his grip If only she knew the depth of his feelings for her But then, she&039;d given him her eternity, so he planned to show her "Lousha, you&039;re azed up at hiht her to hiainst her lips he ood ever caue

One week earlier

Volga Uplands, Russia

Target: the Vay plain, a lone cabin endured, buffeted by a gale Inside, Lothaire the Ene at his fragrimy s, chill drafts sieved in, welco the finger and ring fro the azed at the band, knohat itthe power he&039;d just seized

Unspeakable power

"With this," he grated, "I will be invincible" The winds howled, the cabin walls groaning "I will be unstoppable" He raised his shaking hand, lowering the ring to his own finger, nearly groaning with expectation -

The cabin door exploded open; electricity surged in, hitting hi clattered to the ground as his head crashed through one of the s A jutting shard raked down his forehead, deep across the surface of his eye

Sightless in that eye, blood obscured his vision in the other Trace Leave this place

Not without his ring