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“Ah Now the seduction starts Right on schedule You can’t even help what you are”

“What does that uard, which ain”

“Why do you separate yourself fro ot this property ready, you prepared that room in the turret with -ter This man could steal into my bedroom anytime he wanted and behead me Before, I’d been more concerned about Jack and Matthe I feared for ? Why bother withthe gay You are a wild card, as it were As long as the Empress is alive, the other Arcana believe they have a chance to defeatlook of his “I like they her head with curiosity

“At your dehtly—that they have no shot against me Which makes my job much more difficult I enjoy the comforts of my hoaer than it ht even descend on this place to rescue you, ed sole weakness”

Beware the lures Noas one “Alleged?”

“I have no weaknesses Know that when you’ve served your purpose, you’ll be dispatched just like all the others”

Yes, chilling “So according to that line of thinking, you’ll keepas there are cards out there?”

“Unless you do not settle in here As I said, I enjoy the co to adversely affect that, and you’ll be dead before your next breath That is the inforather: will you endure your time here seamlessly?”

I raised my brows “Sea my privacy”

We’d stopped outside his study door I’d followed him to his suite?

And noould cloister hi the anguish in Jack’s eyes, I reached for Death’s ar, “If I’ rabbed azed down at where our skin touched, his expression like that of an addict getting a quick fix The ah voice, he said, “I’ve warned you, Eive himself a shake, he released me

“Everyone’s terrified of the Touch of Death,” I avelook “I don’t needlessly handle vipers”

Hate hi them?” I motioned toward my cuff

He didn’t deny it “The only way you can let theen is inside the er had driven me—with my Cyclops shadow—from my bed I hadn’t heard from Matthew for two days, and worry had killed my appetite But then I’d re Since own, then slunk down the stairwell into the diht when I’d spied an exterior door at the end of the east wing open, en could be anywhere, could be lying in wait behind any door Gaze darting, I cursedone giant wolf to keep azed down at o on” Cyclops narrowed his yellow eye, displaying that unnatural aniavethe trail

I let hi in the opposite direction for Death’s unauthorized suite Just before Cyclops caught ed at that if I weren’t so freaked

When the Reaper opened, Cyclops had alike an idiot to the doorframe In other words, we looked like a slapstick duo

But how ridiculous I looked was instantly forgotten—in the face of how gorgeous Death was

Blond hair attractively disheveled, he wore faded jeans and an open black button-down My gaze was riveted to the sight of his tattooed chest

Again his scent hit me Sandalwood and pine Heavenly

He didn’t move from the doorway “I’ve told you this area is off-limits”

Inner shake For behind me When I connected olf snout, Cyclops released en’s in theat an to eown and silk robe covered everything—but he had a way of looking at ers “Can you concentrate? He’s in here”

Death took his ti that you fear Ogen, so you run to the one Arcana who posespast hiet a peek at this man’s personal space The roo books and curios

He reached to one side, producing a sword From where, an uainst me?

“You always have one of those close at hand?”

He stepped into the corridor and shut the door behind hin words at the wolf, he strode away Over his shoulder, he commanded me, “Stay there”

Alas, I did not know ate Death’s study, to gain soht When I reached for the doorknob, Cyclops growled

I kept turning the knob, until he wrapped his ht, all right! You are such a pain in o of the knob, he released , I crossed ainst the door All along the hall hung works of art that looked priceless, definitely centuries old I knew a little about art and thought they ht be Italian

Most were of battle scenes, with the faces of the soldiers obscured Though the artists had depicted splintered lances and cavalry horses in mid-leap, I still found the effect static Frozen

Like this entire place

The wolf had probably saved rief, because Death returned in just a few en wanted hah to disobey one now—you may return to your room”

“Did you dock his horns?”