Page 15 (1/2)

Darriover and onto her feet with an ef ort that wrenched her back

Blood dripped down the side of her neck, but not enough to concern herself with She shot a quick glance at Jano, caught in a tangle of translucent boy and opaque bed, then raced across the rooer she had kicked out of his hand

Jano floated right up through the bedspread and went solid "What do you plan to do with that--tickle nored him and slid to a stop in front of her brother Varis had pul ed hiainst the closed door, blood spreading across his upper arrabbed the hilt, and pul ed

She grunted with the ef ort, but Varis h his flesh with a sucking sound Varis ihtly around the wound, twisting the ends under his armpit with a deft one-handedup was taking stoicisrinned faintly The two of the Jano

"That was a wasted ef ort," Jano said He stood on the bed with his feet braced wide apart "You do reainst me"

Darri passed the clean blade to Varis, who reached his uninjured arm across his chest to take it "We know,"

she said "But now you can’t use therinned, every muscle tense and ready, and felt Varis’s identical readiness beside her

"Or you can run along," Varis added Blood stil seeped through the silk of his sleeve, but he appeared to be in no pain at alDarri, who had been knifed once, knew that couldn’t be true "Isn’t it past your bedtime?"

Darri tried to catch Varis’s eye; when he wouldn’t look at her, she looked around the rooht be

"You Rael ians are such a disappointone beet red, which only made him look more like a child "Even froht You real y believe I can’t at ack you?"

"Do you have ghostly poe don’t know about yet?" Varis ed to sound like he was sure of the answer to that question

"Idiots" Jano er"

"Idiots" Jano er"

The blade flew straight across the roo hi a sharp line of pain and a trail of blood But instead of hit ing the door, itflesh

"Ouch," Clarisse said behind them

Darri whirled Clarisse stood in front of the door with the hilt protruding froruously out frohed, reached up, and pul ed the blade out It caush of blood Clarisse frowned down at the rip in the front of her dress, and a lanced over her shoulder at Jano, as so insubstantial she could barely see hiht both of them--not when Clarisse had a weapon Darri struck out anyhow, ai her bloody steel blade at Clarisse’s wrist At the last ed direction and struck instead at the weapon in Clarisse’s hand

Clarisse didn’t fal for it She drew her hand back, and Darri’s blade sliced uselessly through the air Darri staggered, of balance for what could have been a fatal moment, then whirled in a circle and threw

Clarisse lifted her other hand and flicked her fingers Darri’s dagger hit hers and sent both crashing to the ground, along with a thin swath of violet silk cut froers, then let out an aggrieved sigh and folded her ar that doesn’t work anys so taut they shook She wanted to dive for the teapons lying at Clarisse’s feet, on the of chance she could snatch theirl did But that moment when Clarisse had avoided her strike, when Darri had been of balance, her entire right side undefended--that moment should have been fatal Clarisse could easily have stabbed her before she recovered

Instead of lunging for the daggers, Darri regained her breath and said, "Why are you here?"

"To finish e started," Jano snarled--at Clarisse, not at her

"Oh," Clarisse said, glancing up at hied Sorry, Jano--did I not tel you?"

Jano glared at her, fists clenched at his sides "Then what are you doing here?"

Clarisse brushed an invisible speck of dust of her sleeve "I’m here to talk to Prince Varis"

Jano and Darri both looked at Varis, as crouched on the floor in readiness to at ack He rose slowly to his feet, like a snake uncoiling, his eyes fixed on Clarisse "Why?"

Clarisse’s gaze dropped, and her voice softened "Because I couldn’t stay away"

Varis snorted a laugh, then winced and pressed his hand to his shoulder Clarisse looked at the dark blood soaking through the white silk and lifted an eyebrow "Shouldn’t you have that bound?"

"Thank you for pointing it out," Varis said through grit ed teeth "I haven’t had the leisure just yet"

"Then I’l leave you to it" She knelt ser "When you’re donecan I assume you knohere my old rooms are?"

"Yes," Varis said shortly

Clarisse held her saze Then she stepped around Varis and held a hand out to Jano, as now standing at the foot of the bed "Let’s go"

Jano folded his arms across his chest "Why should I listen to you?"

"Because," Clarisse said patiently, "it wil be easier than fighting me"

"I’m hundreds of years older than you," Jano spat "What ht me?"

Clarisse considered for a moment Then she s and white Her figure blurred and changed; her fingers lengthened, sharpened; her hair loosened fro tendrils

Jano stu hi her rose-colored gown, a horribleshe had become-- it burn its way through her body