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"The only feet you need to be worried about are you own" Ree focused on Tristan

"Oh, that’s rich" Tristan looked over his shoulder where Della stood laughing He looked back at Ree with a s to let you practice a little before we do our thing"

Ree narrowed her eyes and raised her sword "Scared, Trist?"

Tristan snarled at Ree, his fangs ripping free of his guy around hi to fear fro the floor rush toward Tristan He jue in a ain and Della jue The tall woman slid next to him and ran her hand up and down his ar away?" Ree stared at Tristan She felt her friends tensing behind her as they fanned out a little wider Dark Ones were slipping into the roo in the shadows as they made their presence known

"Noould he do that? He promised the others they could have a crack at you before he finished things" Della s into her own lips to leave s his proood leader" She leaned forward and nuzzled his neck There was a spike of raw anger that came from Shannon, but Tristan’s face was neutral "I learned from pastwith black

Roland didn’t respond, but Ree could feel the barely-checked rage as he stared at the woman who had stolen his life

"Looks like she still has sos to learn" Ree could see Weylin shake his head fro off Roland never ends well for the other person"

Della looked at Weylin and hissed, her fingers tightening on Tristan’s arm Her back arched like a cat’s, and her face transfore eyes seeles of her face tightened, showing the sharp bones underneath Her fingernails drew blood from Tristan’s ar over, he pried her curled fingers away from his skin

"Looks like soh the rooe" If it had been anyone other than Bryce to make that statement, Ree wouldn’t have been as ahtly up

"Attack" Tristan’s voice brought the seriousness back, and Ree was thrust into fighting Dark Ones swar fro When one landed in front her, she quickly spun, using her sword to cleave the Dark One’s head froore to be seen

Dark Ones see, and Ree realized Ares and Loki had opened portals Reethe attacks of the monsters nearest her

"Portals" Ree said as she ducked underneath a blow to raer between the Dark One’s ribs

"I see them" Paden’s voice was calm and to the point "Hoe stop the on her sword to dispatch her opponent "Maybe if we block theot it" Weylin ju quickly toward the nearest portal When he neared the shi out of his pocket and tossed it into the opening The sound of the explosion was al, the fire that washed out of the portal was blinding Ares roared and e, but Della held up her hand

"You cannot engage, war god It will bring your brethren" Della’s voice reached Ree’s ears and she realized it was only Loki controlling the portals The gods of Earth od abilities it would bring the pack of them down on the school immediately

"Della is mine" Roland’s cold voice touched Ree’s ears She didn’t have time to respond before he disappeared from view

"The rest!" Ree shouted at Weylin

"On it"

Ree broke away fro her way to Tristan

Her brother’s eyes never left her face as she killed Dark Ones on her way to hi her back The others all fought to keep the re Dark Ones away The sounds of Weylin’s explosions and the screa filled the rooe near Della His face was dark and stors extended, and he carried tords black with old blood

"The prodigal son returns" Della s at Roland Ree couldn’t follow everything that happened next, but she was certain Roland had been on the offensive while Della did her best to get an advantage It was as if the world had slohen Della and Roland met blade to blade Della seeth and agility giving her an edge over Roland She bent and moved in a manner no human body, even turned with the alien disease, would ever be able to

Time seemed to slow as Della and Roland danced around each other Theirthat they had spent tiether while on the saht, Della returned with the sae that simmered under Roland’s skin His hate for Della was a physical force, letting hiround When she flipped over his head to swipe at his back, he barely reacted, despite the blood that ran fro her full attention, his dark eyes glittering with so that e Gripping the power, she let it fill her until it swirled in the very tips of her fingers and toes Her feet left the ground and she floated up so she only had to step onto the wooden floor of the raised platform Tristan pulled the sword fro her oord by her side, Ree gathered the power in her hand and threw it at Tristan He moved deftly out of its path and tsked at her