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Clerici brushed his knuckles across her cheek in the gentlest of caresses "I like the way your et your husband"

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Even the srow until there’s no darkness left

NICOLA HAD NEVER been to war Well, not in the natural real with her physical body But even if she had, she kneouldn’t have prepared her for this

Zacharel flew her toward the side of a building in--she wasn’t sure where she was anye, water, black birds in every direction, and the air was supercold, even da beside hiht

The sky was dark, thefros black with tiny diaes blended perfectly into the night

To the left, she could just make out Jamila’s beautiful face There was fear in her eyes, but also a little excitement My coworker is a Sent One, and I had no idea And as that sound? Therattle of snake tails? The rustle of un threatened?

"Serp demons," Zacharel said "As I’m sure you know, they are almost as evil as the Nefas, and they are poisonous to all life They feed upon destruction"

The Nefas orse, and Koldo was related to one But look at everything he’d done to overcoht have been born to vileness, but he’d crawled out of it, was no longer a part of it

Jade-green eyes locked on her "These creatures wish to hurt Koldo Can you kill them?"

"Yes" No hesitation Evil wasn’t to be tolerated

"Good Because they’ve sensed us, which " To the others, he shouted, Only kill those who approach the girl

Soh her mind rather than her ears

There was no time to question him, no time to marvel He swooped down and dropped her on the street She landed with a thud, dust pluht for her--but Zacharel’s ht and striking the deroans sounded Heads soon rolled

So close

Thankfully, there were no other humans around It was too late, she supposed

Before she had tiht I was preparedthought wrong--Zacharel scooped her up and resu closer and closer Closer still He never slowed

She squeezed her eyes closed, expecting to crash But then he dived down Farther and farther Surely they would reach the ground any ree, and she looked on They were now underground and--going farther dooown She sed a yelp of panic

When they landed at the bottom of a cave, Zacharel set her on her feet and released her Then, he and his et Gasps of shock resounded through a now-active cae Footsteps scrambled Bald-headed warriors raced toward her Just before they reached her, Zacharel broke for his sword of fire Shouts of pain and panic rang out The gasps and groere replaced by grunts and groans

Baldies kept co, and the rest of the warriors broke fro beside her to save her froh the air, cutting, slicing Flesh burned Screaed soldiers darted up, flipped in the air, plunged low, ress Some of the Nefas ran away Some ran toward the action But Zacharel and the others couldn’t chase the to draw attention to yourself Get the rest of theht a ht, not to watch the action fro her She could do so And she would

She held out her arm and peered down at her hand Her empty hand What had she done to suht back Laila had just died Oh,Laila The deined her life with Koldo

Joy had filled her

Joy, then

Nothing delighted herher life with him, the way she’d been born to do And she would

Flaather as many of the enemy as you can," she said to Zacharel, "and I’ll deliver the deathblows Don’t do this to help Koldo, but to save me from their wrath You know they’ll come after me if I survive" Hopefully, that would save everyone from any kind of penalty