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It was that, in Titus’s mind, there were two kinds of women—the warriors, and all the rest The latter were to be cosseted and protected and indulged, but not taken seriously It had, Raphael knew, taken Titus tiory

Despite that, she reelic terms and wouldn’t have had the power to hold the attention of an archangel of Titus’s age had Titus not heard of her courage and loyalty during the final battle against Lijuan, when his hunter had chosen to die with him if it would save their people

“She is a true consort,” the other archangel had said to Raphael when the two of the after Raphael’s troops forced Lijuan’s into retreat “You are a blessed man”

An absolute truth

“Lijuan,” Elena said noas”—a pause—“is known to share poith those close to her We saw that with her generals during the battle They could go for longer, heal faster than ouras she was in play”

“But to share poith one of the Cadre?” Titus’s scoas thunder, his arms folded across his chest “It is not possible”

Raphael wasn’t so certain “Charise,” he reminded Titus “He atively affect the older and more powerful of ave a hard nod “I will think on this But as ht to his own borders, and er than his, since he cannibalized sotheerous smile “It may be time I caused an earth tremor or two to remind the cur I do not need Lijuan to flex my ability”

“I would be happy to see Chariseh booe and open “I a, he said, “Have you heard of Michaela’s e an hour past,” Raphael said, and felt Elena’s i away There is no cause for alar for Lijuan’s lands Out loud, he said, “I plan to ignore her de to parcel out the land” It was far too soon to declare Lijuan dead, especially when all indications pointed to the opposite conclusion

“As will I” Ar, Titus looked directly at Elena “I am curious to experience a ‘block party’ I have not heard of such”

Guild Hunter, the floor is yours

“It’ll be quite unlike an angelic ball,” she warned with a bluntness Raphael knew Titus would appreciate “I’asp in horror”

Titus’s teeth flashed white against his skin “That is no deterrent! I will be there unless the es to crawl out of his sickbed Raphael Consort” The African archangel signed off

Raphael’s hunter leaned forward to opaque the screen on their end before turning to glare at him “You told me the invite was pro forma”

“You will enjoy Titus, hbeebti He is apt to ask you to spar with hiin to look interested, he added, “I would have to refuse on your behalf, of course, since Titus has no subtlety to hi off your head and li fallen open at the first part of his sentence “You h the fall of hair she’d released from its tie, the shade akin to the white fire she’d seen on his wings, she sighed “It’s not that I don’t like Titus He seems okay from what I’ve seen of him, but I just want to celebrate our survival and victory with our city and our friends, not stress about doing the hostess deal”

“Then I can put your , stroked down

Shivering, she pressed her hand to his chest, lashes falling

Raphael repeated the intis were highly sensitive, and Elena’s sensitivity had grown over the preceding months, until he could have her loose limbed and heavy lidded in bed with no touch but this He’d summarily kill any other man who dared touch her there

“Titus has no tiainst hiuest you will ever host—especially as the city will be holding a celebration at the ti under his touch, it took her a half hed “Yes He will take pleasure in the energy of our city and seduce five or ten very willing woely dilated against the gray of her irises, the ri iht “He doesn’t have a hareh women did live at Titus’s hoiven safe harbor “Titus does not have long liaisons He spoils the woman he is with at the time, and then he moves on—yet his lovers appear to feel only affection for hirown stripling in Titus’s arned on because he knew he could learn el when it came to the skills of a warrior than he could froel

Of honor, too, he had learned much while in Titus’s army “In all the years that I have known hie Titus” And because he kneould ah at the sound of his nahter was husky, her ars like Elena’s, the evocative o that shaded into blue and the shiold “Thein the back of her throat when he increased the pressure of his caresses, she nuzzled into the curve of his neck “That feels so good Can you do it all night?”