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"It’s the other one!" a guard called, and three of the re clubs

The fourth pulled a knife, lunging for Rojer and Amanvah Rojer tried to pull her to safety, but the chain linking her feet was short, and she stu in hard and delivering a powerful snap kick fro into the man’s crotch

But his foot struck ar snap as pain blossouard swatted hi the knife to finish off Amanvah

"No!" Rojer didn’t think as he leapt into the knife’s path, shielding Aainst his back, and suddenly there was a sharp bit ofaround it There was no pain, but he could feel the cold of the metal inside him, and understood, distantly, what had happened

Amanvah understood it, too He could see it in her eyes, her beautiful brown eyes, always so serene, noith horror

There was a jolt, and the assailant’s hand fell away from the knife’s hilt He collapsed dead to the floor next to Rojer

Sikvah began to wail, but like the pain, it was a distant thing His second wife lifted hied "You must … !"

"The chin tookhich to work"

Sikvah tore the choker from her throat "Here! Here is the hora!"

A quickly to block theSikvah laid Rojer gently on the bed, then stripped off every bit of warded jewelry fro the priceless iteave her incredible powers, but she destroyed theht for hian to tear He wanted to tell her to stop, that it wouldn’t save hihts to co away his clothes as if there weren’t a knife through hi Dying, with sodesk, and A quickly as more continued to well around the cloth wadded over the wound

In low at his chest, bringing a euphoria that deadened his pain Amanvah looked to Sikvah "Withdraw the blade slowly, sister The ans in your wake"

Sikvah nodded, and began to pull Rojer could feel the bladeanew He felt it, body convulsing, but there was no pain It was as if his body were a player,

The bones in Amanvah’s fist crumbled, and Sikvah pulled the knife out the last few inches in a rush, iainst the wound

Amanvah moved to inspect his back "His spine is intact If I sew the wound …"

But Rojer could feel the burning inside, and the erratic beating of his heart He rolled to face them

"K--" The sound came with a bubble of blood that burst and spattered in A with her tears

He paused, gathering his strength "Keep singing" It ca to simply breathe when there was so much to say His wives each took one of his hands, and he clutched the"

He looked off to the side "Kendall …"