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Luce was relieved her own name hadn't been called Thedemonstration took the place of any real instruction Not watch and learn, but straight to watch and excel As the rst six students took their places on the deck, Luce felt huge pressure to pick up the entire art of fencing right away

"En garde!" Shelby bellowed, lunging backward into a squat with the tip of her sword just inches froers were zigzagging through her short black hair, pinning sections of it back with a briarde ot even higher when she was frustrated "What were you, raised by wolves?" she hu ed through the last plastic barrette between her teeth "Okay," she said, drawing her sword "Now I' her deep lunge throughout Dawn's prih nail beds "Wait, do I have ti enough to allow her to drop into an o ensive stance and swing her sword around

"How uncouth!" Dawn barked, but to Luce's surprise, she instantly ratcheted up her swordsh the air and knocking Shelby's aside Daas a fencing badass

Next to Luce, Jas "A match made in Hell"

A smile had crept onto Luce's face, too, because she'd never met anyone as unshakably upbeat as Dawn At rst, Luce had suspected phoniness, a fa?ade--where Luce came from, the South, that always-happy bit wouldn't have been real But Luce had been impressed by how quickly Dawn rebounded after that day on the yacht Dawn's optimism seemed to know no liirl without chuckling And it was especially hard when Daas focusing her girly cheer on beating the crap out of sos between Luce and Shelby were still a little weird She knew it, Shelby knew it, even the Buddha night-light in their room see Shelby ghting for her life while Dawn happily attacked her

Shelby was a steady, patient ghter Where Dawn's technique was showy and eye-catching, her lio across the deck, Shelby was careful with her lunges, almost as if she had only so ave up anything

Yet she'd said she had given up on Daniel after one night Had been quick to say it was because of Daniel's feelings for Luce--that they interfered with everything else But Luce didn't believe her So didn't match up with Daniel's reaction when Luce had alht before He'd acted like there wasn't anything to tell

A loud thump snapped Luce back to attention

Across the deck, Miles had somehow landed on his back Roland hovered over his that had unfurled froreat cape and feathered like an eagle's, but with a beautiful golden h their dark pinions He arb that Daniel had in his T-shirt Luce had never seen Roland's wings before, and like the other Nephili Shelby had told her that only a very few Nephili Roland's coht, sent a ripple of nervous excites commanded so much attention, it took Luce ajust over Miles's breastbone, pinning hiolden wings cut a stark silhouette against the dark, lush trees bordering the deck With his black ,than if she'd been able to see his face She hoped his expression would look playful, because he really had Miles in a vulnerable situation Luce juo to hiodMiles!" Dawn called out froh for Shelby to go in with a whip-over, touch Dawn's unshielded chest, and score the winning point

"Not theher sword "But sooes"

Luce hurried past theed in duels to Roland and Miles Both were panting By then Roland had settled to the ground, his wings retracted inside his skin Miles looked ne; it was Luce who couldn't stop trehed nervously, pushing away the point of the sword "Didn't see your secret weapon co away the point of the sword "Didn't see your secret weapon co"

"Sorry, s on you So"

"Well, good gaht hand to be helped o the ground "Do they say `good ga?"

"No, no one says that" Roland ipped up his , dropped the sword frorasped Miles's hand and pulled hiame yourself"

Luce let out her breath Of course Roland wasn't really going to harm Miles Roland was o beat and unpredictable, but he wasn't dangerous, even if he had sided with Caht in the Sword & Cross cemetery But there was no reason to fear hiet her heart to stop racing?

Then she understood why It was because of Miles Because he was the closest friend she had at Shoreline All she kneas that recently, every time she was around Miles, it s between the And how sometimes, secretly, she wished Daniel could be little bit , attentive and naturally sweet Less caught up in things like being damned since the dawn of tiht into Miles's arms

Dawn She leaped onto Miles, her eyes closed and her rin "You're alive!"

"Alive?" Miles set her back down on her feet "I barely got the wind knocked out ofyou've never co behind Daatching as she petted Miles where the sword had skimmed his white vest, Luce felt oddly eht? She just wantedshe didn't knohat she wanted

"Want this?" Roland appeared at her side, handing her the"You're up next, aren't you?"

"Me? No" She shook her head "Isn't the bell about to ring?"

Roland shook his head "Nice try Just own it, and no one's going to know you've never fenced before"

"I doubt that" Luce ngered the thin mesh screen "Roland, I have to ask you--"

"No, I wasn't going to run Miles through Why did everyone get so freaked out?"

"I know that " she tried to smile "It's about Daniel"