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Of all the beings in the worlds, Orion had chosen hi him a worthy ally

I’ve striven every day since then to be one

Rune began to ink the runes for that spell once more

FIFTY-SEVEN

When he joined her ten minutes later, Rune was still as serious as before

"Everything all right?" she asked with a forced slorist "N&iuame-faceback in B&E"

With a nod, he looped an arm around her shoulders and traced to Val Hall

Into chaos

Jo clapped her hands over her ears against the deafening sounds Constant thunder boomed so loud she could feel the percussion in her belly With piercing shrieks, the wraiths swirled like a furious red tornado Their skeletal faces looked enraged, their jaws hanging low around their screauards were prepared for an attack

Eyes watchful, Rune yelled to Jo, "Is he here?"

She barely heard hiht Thad’s scent co from the manor

Rune waved at her Ladies first, heto ghost "Get ready to trace inside!" As she fixed her gaze on her target, her body levitated, her feet floating above the ground

All she had to do was nudge the wraiths away for a split second She raised her hands Power leapt from heruntil it was too strong, about to blow up in her face She needed an e it, couldn’t contain that power any longer!

With a scream, she hurled it at the wraiths

Contact!

Their circle shifted She and Rune traced at once--

The next thing she saas a cloudless sky above a silent field They’d caught her and thrown her?

Across the field, Rune shot to his feet, shook his head hard, then traced to her "Are you all right?"

She took his offered hand, standing "How’d they touch "

Rune inspected his bow "They’re dead warriors You’re half spirit"

"Well, I crapped out It’s up to you," she said, puzzled by how disappointed he appeared Surely he hadn’t been laying odds on her success "Batter up, Rune"

Back at Val Hall, the wraiths’ shrieks were even louder The red funnel bulged outward, like an inflamed wound

Rune nocked seven arrows, all black One-and-done He drew the string to his strong chin, and his archer’s gaze grew lethally focused This male was her mate He’d overconificent