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"Do you see that?" she de around

The one, she realized "Never ranted permission to return, to leave the thorn in my side for another hour, and check on you Apparently, I’m a beast to be around And I find you injured?" There was a thread of anger in his tone "Why are you injured?"

"I hit my head when I passed out," she admitted

"And why did you pass out?" He leaned over and traced calloused fingertips across her forehead, exactly where she’d hit it during her fainting spell A sharp lance of pain caused her to wince, and he drew back, a gleam of shame in his eyes

A part of her iven her a nonmedical-related touch, and it was the first she had received since Laila’s admission here She’d liked it A lot

He was so warm So vibrant

Sonecessary

"Well, it’s kind of a funny story" Suddenly nervous, she twisted the sheet on her bed--and , after all, because her heart skipped a beat "You see, you had just given my sister that drop of liquid and disappeared, and she had just started screa--"

"As I told you she would do"

"Yes, but I wasn’t exactly prepared and"

Understanding dawned, lightening those golden eyes to a bright, otherworldly amber "You worried"

"Well, yeah Did I ?"

His lips pursed With irritation? she wondered Yeah Definitely with irritation He looked ready to murder her It probably wouldn’t help his mood if she told hi Blue Steel Or Magnu Like, superbeautiful

I have to watch less TV on the nights I can’t sleep

"We’re not off to a good start," he said

"I’y earned her a short, curt "Do better"

"I will"

"See that you do"

So bighearted of hiive her?"

A pause, then, "I’ froht never be ready "Well, are you ready to tell me what you are? Besides a soldier, I uess?" he asked, his features darkening with disappointment

She bit her lip "I’ve been busy"

"Lesson nuive priority to what’s important to them"

"That’s true, but I have to work two jobs I’ve had to care for my sister I’ve had to sleep whenever possible"

"And you couldn’t spare a minute here, and a ive me excuses"

And excuses weren’t allowed in Mr Koldo’s classroo with, wasn’t he? "Oh, yeah, well, how a if you continue to be h shocked "I’ her best to radiate mock sincerity "Koldo, do you know the definition of the word mean?"

"‘Nasty Unkind Cruel’"

"Maybe for some But the Nicola Lane definition is ‘pain in my rear’"

He rubbed the back of his neck "I will endeavor to be nicer, then"

She suddenly felt a little guilty for teasing hiive o to the spirit realhost?" As she’d first suspected?

He flashed his teeth in a fearsolier from the elevator The one who had a host Got it"

"There are no ghosts," he reiterated sharply "Huer or cohosts are actually fa, he scrubbed a hand down his face "Never mind I have more to teach you than I realized"