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"That’s the other reason I never tried to coe, Thronos didn’t reply He just scented other ie of the island
Earlier, when he’d finally picked up the vessel’s scent, he’d begun cutting across a forest to reach it, which was proving to be more of a risk than he’d expected
He needed to concentrate on their escape, but now that he was thinkingMelanthe’s words frohtmare all these years? Why would she fear when a cloud crossed the sun?
Unless she’d actually been attacked
"Why did you say that abouttainted?"
Melanthe didn’t know this, but Thronos had briefly met her mother when he was eleven And it had scared the hell out of him "I’ll answer as soon as you ad of co me when I was in Rothkalina?"
"You know that deuarded by are to a letter station at one of the portal gates"
"What should I have written? Dear Harlot, rumor has it that you are very happy with your new life in Rothkalina with your beloved brother Oold you could ever want, and I kno y Well done, Melanthe! By the ould you like to meet for a rational discussion about our future?"
"Well I did have a lot of gold"
Do not strangle her!
In aout the sole true detail about your pretend letter Oh, and you should knowif you keep calling e blackout, and then I’ll wake up to find you--awfully sadly--dead"
"You threaten me? A powerless, physically weak sorceress?" he sneered "I must amend my treatment of you forthwith"
"You’ve turned into a sarcastic, unbalanced, judgmental dick" To herself, she muttered, "Man, can I pick ’em"
"If you take issue with the term harlot, then perhaps you shouldn’t have slept with half the Lore"
"Half?" she scoffed "Three-quarters for the win!"
How could she sound so bloody uncaring, when he was insulting her character?
"Besides, I don’t take issue with the tere ed"
"You got me I’m a ho fo sho"
What did that mean? "You speak like a human"
She nodded, as if that hadn’t been an insult as well "I watch a lot of TV"
Yet another thing they didn’t have in common "Naturally, you choose pointless pasti infroure I can skate a little now"
"Iother than your conquests"
"So I’ave a disheartened sigh "Thronos, you have to know that I’ll never be what you need round for o I also heard that I’d never survive the injuries I sustained Then they said I’d never fly again Yet I did, and I do Once I get you to my home, you will become what I need"
"I likewhat I need, Thronos?"
"I’m confused about your preferences Should I eued sorcerer who beds anything that moves?" Or maybe she preferred them like her first: a leech
Don’t think of that memory"In the Skye, I will make you understand the value of loyalty, honesty, and fidelity to a single male"
"You just confirmed e’ve always heard: that Vrekeners kidnap and brainwash bold, independent Sorceri fe them into blank-eyed slaves to theirus, accepted as our own" As soon as they were disenize that was her way of indicating untruth "They’re trapped in a dishteous killjoys They are in our version of hell"
"Since you’ll soon see the truth ofabout it"
"Because you’re takingyou? Accepted as your own?"
"I said other Sorceri were," he pointed out "Not you You don’t deserve happiness You deserve the full force of ht in the abbey, I never tried to hurt you, Thronos I’ve just lived ods that you could learn to live yours without your bitterest necessity"
His rage had been so intense the night before, he only vaguely reret it Considering his still-seething wrath, his words could have come out much worse His actions as well
As he soared over one aze shot doard
Fire deathered in wait For hilow, filled with fla and rain Thronos’s wings had been swooping, gaining altitude; at once he brought the speed to elude their strike
Against his chest, she cried, "Don’t drop me, Vrekener!"
If he could dive down behind the mountain aheadHe picked up speed Almost there--
A trap They’d driven hian to crisscross in all directions, flah the air toward them A kill zone
There was nowhere to fly, trails of fire showering all around hie as a cannonball, struck hi into another group’s volley
His wings were fireproof, but the fla to his scales, as if he’d been doused with oil
"Thronos!" Melanthe screa around his!"
When he smelled her seared skin, he had no choice but to separate her fros around her body, covering her as he dove evasively The speed ht help him shed the flames
No way to stop his descent The base of a ed boulders His ain, this time in terror
Had the fire subsided? At the last second, he opened his wings, sculling theainst the pain as he scooped air, slowing their descent into the boulders
Boorenade blasted hi flaritted his teeth, knowing he had only one chance of keeping Melanthe unhars and take the i to every deity in the heavens