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I gri

The swish of scales on ce it for quite soer, and I ripped aze away from the center of the room and the uess would be a bloody war

Akane, still in the forht-foot serpent, drew herself up behind e asinto Nathanial’s back and bouncing off like he was a stone wall I was vaguely aware of hi around as the snake latched itself to h ers, up overof equal parts fear and fury

Nathanial grabbed the snake He tried to rip her free but onlyinrushed over ain and pain shot through ht hand

The joints in ertips split as my claws burst free

I didn’t wonder I didn’t hesitate I just struck

My claws slid through Akane’s thick scales, opening four large gashes The snake jerked, her fangs taking a chunk of my skin with them She slithered backward as I pressedbite

The snake bunched, drawing herself in until she was the length of a five-foot woain Then the skin down her belly split, and a woain just the shed hide of a reptile Blood dripped down her back fron words spilled from her mouth

"Is this your declaration of war?" Tatius asked the Collector, his voice a quiet blade that cut through the tension and heralded worse violence Nuri, Cor the attack to cover Tatius’s sides and back "You’ve accused my people without proof, but your snake undeniably attacked my companion"

"No" There was true franticness in the Collector’s voice now She threw her arms out, her palms parallel to the floor

"Back down, all of you"

The numbness in htened in a vise of tingles Dark blotches filled my peripheral vision and blocked out the vath from me, and I forced my suddenly leaden feet to lift I stumbled on the first step as darkness crawled acrossThe silkyto hih that I could read the concern written on his face when he tipped my head back

"Is she well?" Tatius’s voice was closer than I expected

I juretted the s--which proht

"I feel…" I shook ainst Nathanial’s chest His heat barely reachednumb "Poison?"

"Iht it was her, but her voice sounded far off "Va to clear my vision, but it was dark

Immune? Maybe to normal poisons, but what about supernatural poison? I had the feeling I’d be the first to find out

"Her from deep inside a cave "Take her todarkness pressed down onone of those dreaht I ake but I wasn’t Or at least, I hoped it was a drea so out of my view She’d killed what looked like a seal and wore the skin around her shoulders like a hooded cape

So intent on her work, she didn’t notice e needle up and straightened the crimson thread

"Who are you?" I mumbled, my lips too cracked, too thick, to form the words

The wo to? I tried to turn and see, but ht my chin and Nathanial’s face snapped into focus Strands of his long hair had fallen loose of his ponytail and hung chaotically around his face Blood stained the once-white tuxedo shirt

"You okay?" I asked

Some of the tension lines between his eyes eased as he leaned down and kissed my forehead

I tried to pull away "Stop that"

"You are ain," he whispered into ard se therure where nored my distress as he upended the therhed, nearly choking on the wash of blood "Who did you kill?"

"It is froain and I sed another mouthful It was terrible: lukewarulant? Maybe I sed another e