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"Where are you going?"

I paused in the doorway "To visit the river"

Gran blinked atback?"

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With a lantern in hand, I made my way toward the water My breaths were puffs of sht The stor on and off

I pulled ed froas la his powerful body His pale hair was tousled and longer than he usually kept it

I stutter-stepped at thefrom the river back to the castle As he neared, I noticed he looked weary, his gaze filled with shadows

With pain

Which called to ht way for dreaame, when I’d been known as Phyta Aric had pursued me then, had eventually revealed that I’dhow badly he’d ached for a co to kill hi here I would wake, shamed by ile hope of a future withhis pace, he intoned, "E ht byto Circe?"

Without turning, he said, "As I often do"

When I hurried ahead to block his path, he exhaled an iht a thread of his addictive scent Hints of sandalwood and pine, two trees, ht, his face was hypnotically gorgeous

But my attraction to him was more than physical Endless epochs seemed to tie me to him A bone-deep connection that endured

If past Empresses hadn’t been raised from birth to hate him, they would have fallen for hio on like this, Aric?"

Finally, interest lit his aed"

I didn’t know! I glanced down as I tried to string words together and noticed his gloved hands were clenched Words left my lips: "You want to touch azed up Unable to help ht ht "And since when has itafter he’d disappeared in the ed down to the river

Was the water level even higher than the last ti covered the calm surface At the bank, I raised my lantern "Circe?" I called "Where are you?"

Water in the shape of a hand waved, then collapsed in a splash She couldn’t even hold that sht not have been avoidingchat Especially if she’d been talking to Aric a lot