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She didn’t have time for that As soon as Tynan told Andra the truth about Tori, Nika needed to be whole and healthy enough to go find her She was not going to be left behind this time--seen as too frail and delicate to rescue her baby sister

Nika looked eachin front of her in the eye "I don’t want to do this"

One of the Theronai--the one with skin and eyes the color of dark chocolate--gave her a reassuring smile He had a thick accent she couldn’t place "We won’t force you, but Joseph has told us of your broken mind Perhaps we can help"

Nika hated it that they’d talked about her It made her feel like a child to have her ers "You can’t If you could, I’d know"

"Please let us try"

How many times had she heard that? Tooand never learned froone before

Nika let out a frustrated sigh and held out her left ars to do"

Joseph ers "Are you sure, Nika? You look tired It can wait until after you’ve slept"

Part of her wanted to put it off, but she knew she wouldn’t rest well if she did She’d be worried about it, thinking about the pain she kneas to co it over as better than delaying the inevitable and losing a day’s sleep over it

"I am tired, but it’s fine Let’s just do it so I can start to heal"

"We won’t hurt you," said the second man in the same thick, broken accent as his companion

The way he looked at her--so full of hope and yearning--hten She couldn’t be what this man wanted her to be, and as soon as he touched her, all that hope would be crushed He’d have to go back to his old life of pain and suffering and there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop it

"Just be quick," said Nika She closed her eyes She didn’t want to see that look cross their faces This was hard enough without the guilt that ca with her failure

She felt the heat fro He hesitated, as e the outco herself for the pain

Warers closed around her in a tight grip Pain streaked along her skin, setting her aro, but he held on

The pain grew,as the seconds passed Nika tried to pull her arm away, but he didn’t relent

She opened her eyes to see the face of the taller o!" she shouted

Joseph grabbed the ht

The skin around his hand turned bright red, searing as if she’d laid it against a hot coal She struggled harder and another cry of pain ripped through her

Rational thought scattered under the strain as her thoughts tried to flee the agony of his touch She felt herout pieces of itself into the world, seeking shelter

Nika tried to control it, but she hadn’t been prepared for this She was tired froh to stop this involuntary reaction

Her body greeaker and it beca Joseph would force the man to release her If she could just hold on a few more seconds

She felt her body jerk as both men pulled on the other Then, froe fist fly past her head and slao and stu both hih Nika and she grabbed for the wall to steady herself, but it was too far away

A pair of strong hands caught her and kept her fro, but these hands didn’t hurt

Madoc She’d know his touch anywhere

"What the fuck were you doing to her?" He shot the harsh question at Joseph

Joseph looked at the angry, blistered spot on her ar fro the lines around it deepen "Get her out of here I’ll deal with hiirl"

"You’re the only one who can touch her Besides, from the look on your face, you’d just kill his He lost his head You kno it is--how desperate the pain canI’ve thought about doing way toorumble rose up from Madoc’s chest "Don’t you dare"

The man who’d hurt her pushed hi on her own feet in her haste

"Go, Madoc Get out of here," said Joseph

Nika regained her balance and tugged on Madoc’s arm She really didn’t want to be the cause of any et hi to be more

"Take me home, Madoc I’m tired"

He looked down at her, and his blunt features relaxed His green eyes slid to her ar her up and heading down the hall

The part of her that needed to prove she was independent warred against the part of her that loved being close to him like this In the end, the practical side won She hadn’t spent the last several er only to be treated like she’d break if the wind blew too hard "I can walk," she told hi bloodsucking leech, Tynan"

Nika flinched at his harsh words, and the slight hesitation in Madoc’s gait told her he’d noticed