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Together again So they wouldn’t have while Nicola was down here

Nicola’s knees collapsed Grief was suddenly razor sharp inside her, cutting her up, ruining the nu, Laila had been her only companion Laila was the only one who had ever shared the many travesties of their lives Laila had cried with her and mourned with her and hurt with her and helped rally her when she was at her lowest

And nownow

"Give uards "Please"

A moment passed as they debated, but in the end they walked away and rounded the corner at the end of the street

A fresh round of tears welled in her eyes and spilled onto her cheeks, one after the other, faster and faster, until she was sobbing, shaking uncontrollably, sorrow and despair rising up, consuht beat down on her, but she couldn’t feel the sting She was cold inside So cold

Her sister was a part of her There’d never been a Nicola without a Laila

Her sobs increased until she was hunched over and heaving Had she eaten, she would have thrown up all over the driveway But she hadn’t, and she could only gag and choke and rehbors must have been at work, because no one cah, she calmed She stayed there, crouched on the ce into her hands, her eyes swollen and nose stuffed Death wasn’t the end, she rerave couldn’t win She would see her sister again She would

But one thought arose, and refused to leave her Things hadn’t had to end this way Deht back

How many families had been affected by a similar situation, but just hadn’t known it? How ht was natural and inevitable, never knowing there was another way?

Too e that She couldn’t let another sister end up where she was, on all fours wetting the ground with a stream of fat tears Or a ht, and she would teach others

Out of her pain would co of hope hit her, and she straightened The brightness of the light had her blinking And thenthen her heart began to pound in a wild, warped rhythan had just been strained beyond repair Pain radiated down her left ar? she thought

This is it The end Your sister is gone and you can’t survive without her

No No, that couldn’t be right

But fear gobbled up every ounce of her hope, and the pain increased

All alone No one to help you

No! Those thoughts couldn’t be springing fro she’d just realized So where could--

Demons, she realized She couldn’t see the, hoping to poison her and feed Well, she wasn’t going to let the to me I know I’m well" As she spoke, her heart returned to its nor des into their backs She had seen theain with Koldo’s father One had a horn rising from his scalp and fur all over his body The other had a horn in the center of his forehead and scales rather than skin Their eyes were black, bottoent scents

She stood, saying, "You don’t scarefor this day For this moment"

"Where are your friends, huh?" the other asked "They seem to have abandoned you"

"Then this moment isn’t as it seems" She lifted her chin "I always have help And besides that, with or without the sharpened fangs

"We’ve been with you a very long time, Nicola We know your weak spots"

"You need us" Uttered in a husky, seductive whisper "If for no other reason than to keep other demons away"

One step, two, they approached her She held her ground At any other tiht have experienced horror But not now They’d been waiting for thisfor her sister to die, when Nicola’s emotions would be wrecked They’d planned this attack Had probably strategized for days, weeks, laughing about what an easy target she would be Well, they would get no satisfaction froht

The thought rose from deep inside her, where instinct swirled Yes She’d decided to fight, and so she would

They liked fear and despair--and so she would give theht about Koldo Her husband Her beautiful husband He loved her, and she loved him No ether again If he’d been asked to give her up, so what? She hadn’t agreed to those terht this war together

Her hand began to burn

She glanced down--and watched as a sword of fire appeared in her grip She yelped and alreat was her surprise But she soht as she danced the crackling flah the air

Now the de