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The fight had lasted seconds The woaze had been focused on the skir her as the dark-skinned woman I had spotted twice before at the festival, I wondered what she would do now that her goons were beaten

Regaining so the knife in the tent before she did The drunk wiped blood off his face Bodies were littered around his feet

I tried to stand on shaky legs The wootten I was there Then she started to sing Her sweet, h ht as I sank back down My bodythe blanket up toagainstinary blanket Out of nowhere, Valek appeared beforemy shoulders Stupidly, belatedly, I realized he was the drunk Who else but Valek could win a fight against four large ?

"Recite poisons in your nored hi All I wanted to do was sink into the darkness and follow the music to its depths

"Recite! Now! That’s an order!"

Habit saved ht, I obeyed Valek Nah my mind The music stopped The pressure on asped noisily

"Keep reciting," he said

The woman and the knife had disappeared Valek pulled me to my feet I swayed, but he steadied me with an arm onthe urge to throw ained ed Beard was dead, but I was unsure of the others

Valek turned one prone forust Hefor pulses "Two alive I’ll have the"

"What about the wo was painful

"Gone"

"Will you search for her?"

Valek gave ician I took rabbed my arm and steered me toward the festival