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Kieran ht fro and hissing as the two engaged Lia looked for an opening, but the tere a s Instead, she rushed to the basket of wet garladius The air was so full of s So was Marciana, kneeling on the floor at the base of the dooratching as the kishion and the Evnissyen fought

There was a grunt, a hiss of pain Kieran’s face was ain, stabbing, feinting, thrusting Then the kishion ung around and struck a bedpost, his head whacking it so hard that spittle sprayed froer somehow, but his fist buried in the kishion’s ribs and she heard the bones snap Then a knee went up and the kishion doubled over He popped up quickly again, striking Kieran in the face with his pal, and Lia noticed blood on his sleeve as a wound stained his shirt With a scowl of hatred, Kieran struck so fast his gladius sunk into the kishion’s gut, pulled it out just as quickly, as the dead round

"You are wounded," Lia said, seeing the rivulet of blood colad you noticed," he replied curtly then coughed violently He surveyed the blazing roo up on a chest and yanked down another set of curtains from the s by the iron bar

"To the stairwell before we choke to death!" he ordered "Did you light the rooirl!"

Lia rushed to Marciana and helped her stand and then pulled her down the stairwell

Marciana’s eyes were swollen but thankful "I begged the Mediurateful, Lia Where is Colvin? Is he truly in Dochte Abbey? He is in great danger"

"What precisely do you consider our present situation to be?" Kieran shouted from behind "A maypole dance? Lia, break thatDieyre’s athered at the door below by now I lowered the crossbar, but it will not hold for long"

She noticed the banging colass dark with soot She tried to unfasten therunted in airl! We do not have ladius hilt and struck the , s it He joined her on the stairs and dropped the mass of curtains and helped her crush thepanes Then heaving the e, he let it tuainst the wall on each side of theto act as a brace

He looked down below and winced, shaking his head furiously He glanced up at the roo down the stairwell "The curtain only reaches partway down We will have to jump the rest Lia, you first Cli there, and then fall Quickly, girl!"

"Will the curtain hold hed against his are

Lia sheathed her gladius in her belt and grabbed the curtain She started outside and heard so how far it was to the ground below Above, the roof of the toas blazing S attention to La but cobblestone below her, which would not cushion a fall Several bystanders in the street were pointing and shouting in worry She lowered herself hand over hand down the length of the curtain until she was at the lowest part She dangled frolanced down at the street It looked so far away

Juht down her fears and let go of the curtain Plu like a stone, she then struck the cobbles beloith jolt of pain It was not so far as it seehed with relief

"Lia!" cah the bystanders on the street to her

Lia realized through her daze that they were outside the manor walls The to was on the exterior wall of the grounds Lia was grateful and hugged Reo down the length of curtain Ash sprinkled down from the blaze of the tower bea her eyes as she looked up Marciana struggled against the fabric, but she lowered herself down as well She reached the end of the curtain