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Lia opened her eyes She could not see through her tears, but she heard his boots approaching, heard the stiff rasp of breath Blinking quickly, the scene opened like a flower before the sun – Colvin walking towards theainst the leather jerkin on chest, the ring she has tossed to hiry clench of his fist, the cool hate mirrored in his eyes

"Forshee!" one of the soldiers whispered gruffly but with grudging respect

"Where’s the De the two noble slowly, so slowly towards the Leering The blood in herfor this round that separated the as I spared you But you kno good I arin in his voice that made Lia sick "I know she wanted to be married in an Abbey But after today, there will be no more Abbeys It ends here It ends today Your lands are mine Your sister is mine Even your curly-haired wretched isleft that I want"

The soldiers had not seen Lia slinking away The ground was rough against her back, the traainst her The pain was beyond anything she had experienced It took biting her tongue to keep fro with each fervent twitch Closer, closer!

"I am not afraid of you," Colvin said, his voice hoarse

"Of course not You are too stupid to be afraid Everyone who has relied on you is in my hands Your poor useless friend York…I left him in a puddle of blood Demont is dead and every maston with him You are the last, I think The last to fall You should have fallen at Winterrowd Let us end it here"

The swords clashed with a shower of sparks Dieyre caain it was parried It was a ind of bloeeps, and cuts Lunges and stabs, as if a thousand iron shields clattered down stone steps in aar and sto back and circling, feinting, only to charge and rush again

Lia gasped as a ribbon of blood appeared on Colvin’s cheek from Dieyre’s sword, one that nearly took out his eye

"She is crawling! Look at her!"

They had seen her

A shadow fell across her body Scarseth, a dagger in his hand His eyes were glowing fiercely She could see the tattooacross his throat as he s, his teeth clenched, obviously wrestling with the Alder

Save me! he screais is ht it! she screaht her off!

The clash of steel stopped suddenly The two knights circled each other, sweat dripping from their faces Dieyre sounded impressed "You are better than you were You have been practicing, Forshee!" The swordsafter clash Lia could not bear to look She was angry at hi himself He was supposed to take Ellowyn to Dahomey Who was left to carry out the Medium’s will?

Scarseth’s hand suddenly closed around her throat, squeezing it The dagger caood hand, arresting the stroke He was so strong with the Medium’s power Her eyes went black for aover her, loose fro "I wish you could have seen her beg, Forshee The way she begged h any other man, especially the tears I made her promise and seal that promise with a kiss" The blades struck harder and harder Faster and faster "Not just any kiss She had to mean it She had to want it! And she did, Forshee I will cherish that memory Her ar in the air, end over end until it landed with a thump on the heath

Colvin’s boot stomped hard on Dieyre’s foot, his elbow snapped Dieyre’s head back, and Dieyre flopped on the ground The point of Colvin’s sword came down on his chest and stopped

The soldiers were shocked A hushed silence fell

"Kill rowled "If you are a ainst the wrist, but the blade was getting closer to her ribs Her whole body treony and effort She could not hold hi to fail