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Another ain He, too, fell to her bullet She’d never purposely hurt anyone before--not with the intention of utterly destroying--and would have thought she would feel guilt and sadness All she felt was savage satisfaction that she’d protected her ht she saw sparks of pride in Vasili’s violet eyes Then he spun froht hi Noas ferocious He gave no quarter Showed noMen fell all around him, and every so often he looked back at her Tooff?

She nearly grinned He was He really was And she was impressed Here was a man ould always be able to protect He would defend with a strength few possessed He would--

So around her neck, choking, hot breath fanning over her cheek The other arun out of her hand

"Who are you?" a o," she snapped

"What are you? A Walker? Yes, I think so I saw you appear I saw your weapon Saw you help that bastard king"

This was not Vasili’s man, then No panic She’d trained She knehat to do Rather than tug at the ar her, as instinct demanded, she reached back and jabbed hi her to turn Is, and he doubled over

She kneed hi to his back When he hit, he gasped for breath he couldn’t quite catch As she approached his and kicked her, hard Now she lost her breath and stumbled backward and he was able to hop to his feet

"Bitch"

He fleard her To his surprise, she met him in the ed, punched and dodged She landed three hits He landed one, and for aaround her and had to spit out blood But she didn’t slow or stop or cry or panic And soon she landed her open palainst his nose Crack Blood sprayed and he fell

An unholy roar sounded behind her Then there was a whirl of black, a hard breeze wafting over her, and she could only stand there, amazed, as she realized Vasili was on top of the led; then the struggling ceased Vasili continued to punch and punch and punch Rose approached hiently, and flattened her hand on his shoulder

"Stop now, darling," she said "Yes?"

He did, as if her voice had penetrated that fog of rage Panting, he swung narrowed eyes to her

Blood andover hi the rest of his skin He was brutal and all the ht?" he demanded

"Yes You?"

"Yes"

"But he hurt you," was the ragged reply, as if he couldn’t believe that fact

"I’"

"But he hurt you I saw him" With that, Vasili turned back to the ain

"He’s already dead," she told hi

"But he needs to die again" Another punch

Rose tugged hi while, they si between the

"You caently His fingers traced over her bruised jaw

There was a tingle, that ever-present ache "I couldn’t stay away Imissed you"

Before he could reply, a hard voice called, "The rest have fallen back, "

Vasili’s hands didn’t leave her, but he did aze to the newcoe ’Attack again, and the same will be done to your faori, the ht, and swung around to instruct theher attention to hi tricked Jasha into agreeing to wed one of his daughters, and then attacked while everyone was coave an abrupt shake of his head "Neither The other realms heard of my alliance with Greer, and attacked to prevent it He warned me they would try, but I didn’t believe hi her waist, and tugged her close "I saw you here, amid the battle, and I al, sweetheart"

Sweetheart? She ainst him "You have to ad I saved you"

Now she snorted

His heated gaze traveled the length of her, and he licked the raindrops fro a dress" He sounded shocked, awed

"And heels Not that you’ll get to enjoy them They’re trash now"

"They were for me?"

A nod

"I love them"