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When he didn't look wholly convinced, she said, "I remember when I was four, ick to h he would raise his hands with an innocent expression every time I frowned at hi hted doith stuffed ani me on his shoulders At the end of the day, the two of them had that bomb-blast look you see on parents in the final hours of an amusement park sentence Even so, they'd stopped for one last treat for ue and almost tendered druid coins for ice crea our ice cream in a plaza, my dad jerked up froods! I've lost our daughter!' Then my mother pointed out that I was on his shoulders"

The three of thehed until they'd cried

Bowen cocked his head at her "They sound like they doted"

Doted What a fitting word "I guess they did" After Mari's father had left, her h Jillian would always appear saddened if they'd enjoyed themselves too much Even at the end of that incredible day the two of them had spent on the beach, she'd seemed preoccupied -

Mari felt a sudden odd bite in the air and gazed up She spied ravens circling overhead, ently clasping her shoulders "What is it?"

"I don't know Probably nothing," she said, yet continued to peer around her

"If you're having a gut feeling about so, I want to know I should have listened to you about the bridge and will fro, because she didn't understand it "No, I' a ss"

He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, looking as if he'd rather deal with a s about hiain drew a blank Not surprising He was on edge that she'd sensed a threat when he still scented nothing Plus there was the fact that there was naught for Bowe to tell her

Over the lastMariah back He wanted to steer clear of that subject - as well as that of the Hie Yet aside from those pursuits, he hadn't had a real life in memory

Bowe had known his existence was soulless and barren, but that fact had never been hit home like this

He could tell her that he used to lead an army, a stalwart one Yet the Horde had decimated it in the same war that Rydstrom had lost his, and Boould rather her not know of his failure Today she'd begun regarding hiood at killing Also not helping his efforts with her

And friends? Bowe didn't have ularly He'd let friendships wane, because it was always so uncomfortable for others to try to convey their sympathies to him He'd rather save them the trouble - and besides, too often sympathy crossed over the line and became pity Or they studied him like Lachlain did Bowe put up with Lachlain's scrutiny because he was like a brother, but he didn't suffer it from others

Christ, he was a cipher

For the first tih for Mariketa Did he even deserve her? Yes, she was a witch, but she was also stunningly beautiful and brave and clever

"I like football, too," he finally said