Page 39 (1/2)

"If we had no bad blood between us, would you like me?"

"I'd be attracted to you, but there's no way I'd want anything permanent with you - bad blood or not"

"What the hell's so wrong with me?" His eyes flickered, and the hint of uncertainty he'd just revealed was drowned out by a surge of arrogance "I', I can protect you, and I'm rich And I vow to you, lass, once you experience what it's like to share my bed, you will no' ever want to leave it"

His eyes bored into hers as he said the last, and despite herself, his utter confidence in this area affected her, forcing her to wonder what tricks a twelve-century-old immortal would've picked up over the years

She inwardly shook herself "MacRieve, when I settle down it's going to be with a male that has - oh, I don't know - a sense of hu hatred toitches? Maybe a zest for life? Too much to ask that he's born in the saed, but know that I was no' always so grave as I am now"

"It doesn't et along with h to know the difference between eh the ice world in Zelda"

MacRieve was no doubt speculating in what ice dimension this mysterious land of Zelda was He finally said, "These differences are sur about how young I ato say soe ,' and I' at you"

He scowled at that, but still said, "I'll change your mind about et it"

"Damn it, witch, are you no' even curious about where this could lead?"

"No, but I am curious how you can be when you despise ested ork together in the Hie! I will never forget your disgust" Did his jaw clench? "Why do you despise us so ed "With witches you never knohat you're in for All false faces and deviousness"

"But with Lykae, what you see is what you get? Oh, wait, I totally forgot about the beast that lives inside you And then by the time you see what you're in for, it's too late, isn't it?"

He narrowed his eyes "I' the er than the Lykae - and I've trained for war or fought it for my entire life Yet you, with your wee body and utter lack of training, can still pin me by the throat It's no' natural Witches are no' natural"

"That can't be all"

"That's all you'll hear tonight"

"You knohat? I'll play If you answer one question correctly, Iyou a shot to maybe win me over"