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That power that had been hovering there, waiting for her, erupted in a tidal wave of electricity Her hair stood up on end and her skin heated as bright sparks arced over her liht explode

Andra shut her eyes tight against the pressure, and her vision filled with scenes fro to use a sword, his lith She saw hi toe-to-toe with half a dozen deraves of his mother and sister

She heard him vow that day to do whatever it took to rid the world of the Synestryn He’d give up his freedo--to protect those whom the Synestryn hunted

Then she sao blond hair and billowing skirt flowing out behind her on the wind Her deep green eyesforest, and when Paul approached her, she felt his resignation His acceptance He’d loved her, but Kate loved another He’d tried to force her to stay with him, and she’d rejected him

"I will never be yours," she told him

Andra watched as she took his luceria off and placed it back around his neck Paul fell to his knees and clutched his bare chest as she watched, her face calm and impassive Leaves fell from the branches of his tattoo until the li on the ground in pain

Kate saw his suffering, too, but after watching for a long moment, she turned her back on him and walked away Toward another round They carried his lanky body back to a village and laid hie A beautiful woown knelt beside him She placed her hands on his chest and bowed her head as if in prayer

Slowly, san to form on the limbs of his tree tattoo

The woht her up in his ared Paul opened his eyes and sahat the woe they spoke, but she understood the words all the sa yet, Theronai," said the woman in a weak voice "It saved your life That and the fact that you weren’t with her for long Fortunately, you’ll recover this ti look "There won’t be a next tiain It costs her too much Do you understand?"

"Yes, sire"

The older ht Paul there "Find Kate Bring her here to answer for her actions"

The boy bowed and fled froe

"Go now, Paul, and make sure you’re worth the trouble you’ve caused this day"

Paul pushed himself to his feet and er and embarrassment as if they were her own She could also feel his deterood and make this older liles to live up to his expectations His battles He’d fought and killed thousands of monsters, saved hundreds of lives, and had surely been worth whatever trouble he’d caused

Why, then, didn’t he feel he’d done enough?

When she came back to reality, she asked, "What the hell was that?"

"What did you see?"

"You as a boy What Kate did to you I don’t understand what happened, but it nearly killed you, didn’t it?"

He looked away "It’s in the past What ht be able to h to help Nika"

Golden shards of hope lit up within his eyes "Is that what you want?"

"Yes"

"Then we must complete our union"

"Hoe do that?" she asked

He leaned toward her, staring at her iven you my promise to hold your life sacred above ive me a promise in return"

Chapter 11

"What kind of promise?" asked Andra