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Out of the corner of uards as he tried to reach Mogkan Too late for th, I mentally reached out I hit an impenetrable barrier as I felt my consciousness drain Blackness filled"Here," she said, "let me help you" Pure power flowed into kan’s onslaught, pushing hi thud

Confusion reigned in the Coic as I was, I couldn’t restrain Mogkan He bolted frouards with swords As I rushed to help Valek, Brazell grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him

He raised his sword Murder blazed in his eyes I juainst the Commander’s bed I leaped onto the bed to avoid Brazell’s next swing I glanced down The Co Brazell’s third swing severed one of the bedposts

As I dived from the end of the bed to avoid another blow, I seized the post from the floor

Noas armed The post wasn’t balanced properly for a bow, but it was thick Better than nothing

Brazell was a powerful opponent Each swing of his sword hacked chunks out of ht hi I’ll gut you in two moves"

When I foundhis breath Even sensing his next attack, I still scrambled to stay one step ahead of him My wooden post was no match for his sword

Reyad’s ghostto distract me His tactics worked My back hit the wall Brazell’s sword split leeful satisfaction, Brazell pulled his sword back to slash at my neck But I still held a part of the wood As his sword swung close, I deflected the weapon doith my broken post The tip cut acrossfabric accompanied a line of fire across my stomach Blood soaked the ripped ends of my unifor I was finished, he relaxed his guard But I was still on th, I struck hiazed at the ceiling, trying to regain kan" He disappeared froth returned to ash, I thought all I needed was so I couldn’t bear lying on the ground with hi, I stood

"You" I stabbed a bloody finger at hiht a ghost? I moved into a defensive stance He scoffed No, not a physical fight, a ht about what I had accomplished in the year and a half since I had slit Reyad’s throat Overco love How I felt about th mirror of the Commander’s room My hair ild My shirt soaked with blood My face streaked with dirt Almost the same reflection when I first beca different The shadows of doubt were gone

I peered deeper and found my soul A little tattered and with some holes, but there all the same It had always been there, I realized with a shock If Reyad and Mogkan had truly driven it fro over Brazell’s unconscious form

I was in control This new person in the lanced at Brazell He was still breathing, but I was in charge of hier the rat caught in the host His shocked expression gave reat joy as he vanished

But joy was like a butterfly alighting on a hand; a brief rest before flying away

"Janco’s hurt" Irys’s alarmed voice resounded inuard’s belt, I handcuffed Brazell to the heavy bed Then I bolted froh the corridors He can’t die, I thought Not Janco I wouldn’t be able to bear his death Horrible scenarios played in ht toward Valek and Mogkan without even recognizing them

They dueled with swords The reason the scene had taken a while to clarify in kan had the upper hand Valek’s pale face was haggard He swung his sword as if it was a dead weight His natural grace had fled, and what rekan, on the other hand, was quick and co style

My disbelief and concern grew as I watched the ic? No, Valek was iht Then realization dawned Valek had said being close to a ht seven guards in the Coeon without food or sleep Exhaustion had finally caught up to hi nearby He executed a lightning-quick feint, and then lunged Valek’s sword clattered to the floor as a crimson slash snaked up his arm