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"And this creature you know as Ryan Kristoff is iled to workthat I was about to burst into tears, which was really the last thing I needed to do when atte to establish terled to keepthe backs of my eyelids

"Yes, my lord Wh-what e for your aid that would fulfill the bounds of honor?" Da now I could feel the treacherous tears snaking their way downI had not to wipe theot aardly to my feet and then went ahead and swiped at the tears with the back of my hand Rhyzkahl turned away fro hiuorous manner "This matter is htful

"Because of Ryan, right? He’s not just an FBI agent?"

He gave no indication of denial or affirmation "It is a complex matter It is not so simple for me to interfere"

"Why?" I persisted "Does soh the portal? To get hiaze speared o, I think Was it after him?" Or me? I added silently

His expression remained inscrutable "I cannot answer that"

I scowled I was definitely over the wanting-to-cry part Noas into the annoyed-at-being-in-the-dark part "Can’t or won’t?"

"Let us get back to the matter at hand, shall we?" he said He stood and strode to me, then cupped my chin in his hand and tilted it up so he could look down into my face "You wish to have the threat this woman poses eliminated, and you wish Ryan Kristoff to be spared from this threat"

"Yes" I couldn’t really nod with his hand under my chin

"Yet you also wish to protect your world, your realm, from the chance that an arcane creature of ain"

"Yes"

He released my chin and took a step back, toa crick in arded htful expression on his face "If this creature consumes Ryan Kristoff, there is little doubt that she would proceed to then destroy you" It didn’t sound as if he was hoping for any sort of response,out a problem I wished I had a clue as to what the probleet to the damn point

He was silent for several more heartbeats "I have an interest in you and would prefer that you were not harmed by this creature" Then he nodded, as if satisfied with some internal debate "You will su of the moon around your earth for the next three of your world’s years Upon being suer than half of one day, unless additional ter that ti you harainst your own code of honor without your leave"

I quickly ran through what he’d said Once a month for the next three years, for nothe judicial laws that apply to ree, unless I indicate otherwise"

He inclined his head "Agreed In return, I will remove the threat that this woht his lip curled in derision, but if so the expression was a brief one

"And you will also agree," I said, straightening s of your person, to answer no less than three questions that I ask of you, to the best of your ability"

A faint smile curved the corner of his otiation to my favor, even if only by a few millimeters "One question"

"Two"

"Done These are terms that I can and will abide by"

I let my breath out "These are terms that I can and will abide by," I echoed And, to my relief, they were

"Give ht hand, but he shook his head and reached forit palm up A knife abruptly appeared in his hand, a wicked and evil-looking artifact, with a blade that shimmered with an oily blue sheen and a handle covered in spikes that thrust between his fingers as he gripped it The thought flashed through rasp on that knife would be a painful experience A dark-blue jewel capped the poishly froh ht of the knife, for no reason that I could nahtened his hold and pulled ht, then slid the knife acrossthe thin scar on my arm from where I’d cut my own flesh to suh one as soon as the er in contact with my flesh I watched the blood well up from the shallow slice, then looked up at Rhyzkahl in time to see him make a similar slice on his own forearether I expected to feel so bizarre as the blood led--but all I could feel was the powerful aura of him that surrounded us both

"And now the oath is bound in blood" He sely chaste kiss, especially co and heat-filled kisses he had laid on ," I said after he stepped back "I mean … could you anso questions for htly in acquiescence

"You said that the link you had with my dreams was broken when I died … but … do you still have any sort of link to h, but all he did was smile "Perceptive and clever In those last seconds before you perished, I forged a new and different link--one that I kneould survive your death"

The fucker He hadn’t lied to me before, but he sure hadn’t told me the whole truth But at least now I knew