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"You’re pretty incredible yourself," she said, sitting forward and kissing me boldly on the lips For a second, I responded, still wrapped up in her ainst me

But then I drew back Anyan was still inside that da, hopefully And noas not the time

"I can’t," I said "I’ the ‘another wo?" she asked

"Um, no That’s definitely not it," I admitted "But there’s Anyan And there’s…" I lyph in my best Vanna White impression

"Mmm, yes There is that As for Anyan… maybe he likes to share" With that, Blondie turned back to our ! chiht away to ponder later And by ponder, I ht now…

" ’Kay, we still have to touch this thing," Blondie said

"Agreed," I said, going along with her change of subject "Who wants to do it?"

Blondie pursed her lips and scratched at her tattooed neck For a second, I itched to touch those tats one hed "I’ll do it"

It er than me, and she was the only one who could beat Phaedra to become the chaers treil Blondie watched

"If it does turnafter you Slowly, and ponderously, but I arinned in reply, and I reached forward Then we both juer’s brief contact For a second, it glowed as if lit by the sun My heart was pounding inhappened and the glyph went cold and dead before us So I reached forward again, to touch the sigil oncethe cavern This time I was ready for it, however, and I kept il still faded, despitewhen I touched it again, and again--flaring to life, but then dying

"Okay," Blondie said "It liked the touch But then it "

"Like what?"

"I dunno But it’s as though it gets bored when you stand there"

I started pressing randoil, but everywhere I touched just o out Meanwhile, it never stopped changing shape, each sinuous for into the next, led by that line’s serpentlike head…

Led by the head…on the sigil I watched as itmy hand forward, I touched exactly what I’d wanted to touch--the head of the snake My body jolted as I ain, but this tih il… it wants us to…"

"What?" Blondie said, as if urging me on I flicked my eyes at the tone of her voice "Wants us to what?"

Frankly, I wasn’t sure, so I reached out ain The sigil flared; I felt the sa as I did so, the sigil continued to flare, and power continued to surge up my arm There was just one problem…

"Shit! It’s too fast!" I kicked the wall in frustration "Motherfucker!"

"Here, let rip

Then she started to move my arm Her own movements were quick and sure and confident In fact, they were very confident

A little too confident, I thought

Her grip strong on my ar Braille There was nothing hesitant about her ht, fearing once again thatI saw in her tattoos? I questioned I felt like I’d seen into her soul, and it was a good one

She does know ht But that doesn’t mean she’s evil With that, I squashed down my doubts and just ith her movements I had to ride this bronco to the end and see where it took il as the light grew brighter and brighter But I was touching only the right side of thethe left Finally, it settled into half of an ornate shape that would have looked a bit like a stylized Celtic version of a Christmas wreath, had the other side been filled in Meanwhile, the glow increased, and for a very uncoht before the crystal cave’s glyph exploded Just as my heart really started to pound in fear, Blondie coinal’s free hand shot forward to grabon the wet air surrounding us Thick ly as solid as the cavern in which we’d just been standing