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"Buthow is that possible?"

"The de his spirit But the evil is housed inside his body A body that created immunities Those iic semen? Torin could come inside her and save her from sickness? Or she could s him? "I’vewell, I’ve tasted the latter," she ad, "and still I sickened"

"A taste ht stave off the illness for a bit but not eradicate it You would need a full dose One way or the other"

"Butwhy does his skin infect, yet the rest of his body does not?"

"You know better than most that the skin radiates whatever is in the spirit You are a spirit inside a body that doesn’t belong to you, and yet that skin changes with the seasons, just as your spirit does"

He wasright Skin radiated the spirit, but fluids sprang from the body

Whichshe’d ever wanted Torin, health A faest his blood once a day Or let hi

Shivers of exciteh her This was Torin’s every drea her She still owed Hades whatever he wanted--and she could guess what that was

"You love him," the dark lord said

"I do"

"But you’ll stay with me if I so decree it"

She closed her eyes, nodded A deal was a deal when she made it freely "Is that your decree? That I stay with you?"

Oppressive silence

She breathed deeply as she faced him His chin was lifted, a pose of deep masculine pride, but his expression was blank "Hadesplease don’t ruff, he added, "You would feel trapped, and I did that to you once already"

Hope unfurled soft wings "Then what do you want?"

"Obviously I am at ith Lucifer"

"And?" she prompted when he went quiet