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"I am loyal," Jestry weakly replied

"It doesn’t ard than a mere zealot," she answered

"I’ized

Sylora paused and let it all sink in, nodding for a few moments "Our attack is merely a feint, Jestry," she explained "We must pressure the folk who attempt to rebuild Neverwinter, as I wish to see the limits of their powers Valindra coht, and only a sainst the walls of Neverwinter, for that’s not her ht, but ill not take Neverwinter, nor tear down her walls"

"But still, I would be there"

"We’ll learn--"

"I would learn!" he insisted "I’hed heavily "It is naught but a prelude," she said "For we’ve now been offered the proht produce the cataclys demands"

He looked at her curiously

"You were there!" she yelled at him

"The lady Arunika?"

"Lady," Sylora echoed with a knowing little laugh "Ah, o to her now?" he asked eagerly "We can’t be far frorinned, and Jestry stiffened

"Intrigued?" Sylora asked

"No," he blurted "It’s just--"

Sylora laughed and started away

Soon enough, they arrived at Arunika’s front porch The red-haired woreeted them waraze off Jestry

He couldn’t return the look Everything about Arunika seeht to him He wanted to bury his face in her curly hair As he passed her by, her scent filled his nostrils, and he could alti rain

"Lady Valindra has told you of your, of our, potential ally?" Arunika asked, h out of coincidence, ement, Jestry couldn’t know--the wo one Arunika took the single chair, opposite Jestry and Sylora

"I’ued," Sylora replied "Such creatures as you described to Valindra are known to h I’ve never dealt with one personally"

"Nor should you," Arunika replied, and Sylora nodded as if she’d already come to the same conclusion

Jestry had to work hard to keep up with the conversation, for he kept getting distracted by the time s unexpected At one point, he looked froht, her for eyes--Sylora had to be considered farJestry had already declared his love for her, and none of that had changed, surely

But Jestry found that he couldn’t look at Sylora forso near He turned back to face the redhead, and found her staring back at hi, apparently, that he didn’t He tried to break her stare with a look of consternation as she becarinnedinside him He looked to Sylora, but found that she wore the same expression as Arunika

"What …" he started to ask as he turned back to Arunika, just as she stood up froht in Jestry’s ht up in front of hiently stroke his thick black hair

He wanted to say so his hair, her other hand working the ties on her plain dress She loosened it and brought her arh to let the dress drop from her shoulders and fall to the floor

She stood there naked and unasharuity of her actions, of her forwardness, as compared to the quiet temperament she’d shown to this point had Jestry in a near panic

Not for long, though He glanced again at Sylora, who sard Arunika He could barely keep his eyes open as she again stroked his black hair, her delicate touch sending shivers throughout his body

She bent down to kiss him and he couldn’t resist, and when he tried to press ly drifted back from him, and when he tried to stand to pursue, she used but one small hand to easily hold hie strength Nor did he notice the small horns that had sprouted on the wos suddenly opened wide as she moved down atop him, Jestry took no notice, for it didn’t really matter at that point

He was lost and he didn’t want to be found

Barrabus the Gray watched the approaching zoust He’d seen these creatures many times in his battles with the ridiculous zealots, and res