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There she sawno waybut there her precious Laila was, standing beside a handso rown-up? Nicola’s eyes widened The tere hugging and grinning and laughing, so happy it ain

Joy was deposited directly into her heart, filling her up, overflowing One day, Nicola and Koldo would join thee of that before, but just then, it sank deep into her spirit, co alive Yes, one day

But not today

"Koldo needsher attention He had dark hair and kind, dark eyes He wore a white robe, his hands anchored behind his back

Oh, good Someone else to pester about this "Sir," she said "My name is Nicola, I’m human, and I need--"

"My name is Clerici"

"Clerici Hi Nice to els, you know," he said, interrupting her again "We’re often called angels, and sometimes we refer to ourselves that way, but if we break down the pieces, we aren’t angels Really, we are huer life spans and wings We also fight evil"

O-kay Trying again "Sir I know all that It’s been explained to h, who is a Holy Trinity," he said "The Merciful One, the Anointed One and the Mighty One We--and you--were created in His ie We are spirits, we have a soul, and we live in a body Your spirit is your power source, what lives forever, and your soul is your mind, will and emotions I’m sure you’re well acquainted with your body"

"I aave each of us a sword of fire A sword you wielded," he said, and stopped Just stopped and stared over at her with an enigmatic expression

"Hey, you can’t be any more surprised than I was But there’s no time to ponder the reasons Koldo is out there, and he needsto find--"

"You didn’t wield the sword because you h! Would he never allow her to finish a sentence?

"You wielded it because you were adopted into the Most High’s fain of a Sent One Perhaps one day you’ll even groings Noever, you will fight for us"

Wait, wait, wait She was now a supernatural being,"I’ after Koldo first," she said in a rush before the male could stop her She would do whatever was necessary to succeed "We’ll talk about all this other stuff when he’s safe"

"I knohere he is," Zacharel said His first words since this had started

Nicola spun to face him "What! Why didn’t you tellyou could do to aid him You would only have harmed him And my attention was and is needed elsewhere, where I can do so, and his friends are near the breaking point"

"But--" Nicola began

"The part about Koldo is true," Clerici said, cutting her off Again "Any Sent One who has been whipped for the Water of Life cannot be aided until their wounds have healed"

"That’s insane!" she gasped

"I agree I have attempted to convince the Council to abolish the tradition, but they insist on continuing it the way Gerh But until I succeed, to aid Koldo is to condemn one’s self to the same pain he now suffers" He turned to Zacharel "For all but her She can aid Koldo She’s his other half, an extension of his being Whatever she does to aid hi it himself"

A muscle ticked in Zacharel’s jaw "To escort her to hiht the Nefas I’ I do on his behalf before he is healed will be considered aid"

"I know But you can aid and protect her"

Zacharel’s shoulders straightened, and he jolted, as if he’d just experienced a startling revelation "That’s true"

Sohe and his uys unless they threatened her? Otherwise they’d be helping Koldo And they could help her, even though she was Koldo’s other half, because she was also halfwell, Nicola Had anything ever beento his study of her "Are you ready for battle, Nicola?"

For the man she loved? "I am"

"Koldo will be upset if she’s injured," Zacharel said

"He can’t be upset if he’s dead," she said--and guess what? No one interrupted her