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Fury rose in Sorcha’s face, putting hot color across her cheeks "I will finish this, and you will help me"

"Oh, I don’t think so"

Sorcha slid her cold gaze to me "You will help me, or I will kill your vampire friend"

Tell them to hurry, I told Ethan Because I’m Mallory’s incentive

But that didn’t uard on ood in ain

"How about me and you take a few turns at each other, Sorcha? Unless you’re afraid?"

"I’m not afraid of you"

I winked, crooked a finger at her "Coot"

The first fireball whizzed by so quickly I hadn’t even seen her throw it

Daed out of the way, hitting the ground as the chartreuse blaze flew above round-shaking thud, sending snow ten feet into the air

Fast and strong, I aain, blade in front of me to shield her next volley Sorcha just rolled her eyes and sent another volleywhen a spark penetrated leather, stung with needle-sharp pain The fireballs dissipated but left greasy marks across the blade ofto wipe it away

"Co"

"I hate you," she said, taking a step forward Ia full circle and putting Mallory at her back

"Yeah, I’m not super fond of you, either," I said, and struck forward, just catching the fabric at the edge of one knee, and ripped a four-inch hole in the silk I nicked her pale skin, scenting the air with her blood Powerful blood that I had to force myself not to think about

Sorcha screa around her face in an arc She whipped another fireball at ?--her eyes noild and dilated She was too close for the shot; I sliced through it with my katana, but theus both

Pain exploded through me, like I’d taken fire-hot shrapnel in every bit of skin, muscle, and bone The force of it pushed round on ic pulsed over my skin with a million painful pricks

"You bitch!" Sorcha cried out She was still on her feet, but her pantsuit was now a dodgy mess of burns and holes

She took soood time for the