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"Your ," a voice says fro there, his perceptive brown eyes taking inand smile, then incline my head toward him "Yours are pretty intense, too," I say I draw a little closer,at the finely detailed black marks "Jake tells me they represent deaths in battle," I say "But what are they?"

"At one tiht but reminders of a time I’d rather scrape from my past"

"That bad, huh?" I say, and stare at a particularly fascinating mark "No disrespect, Gawan, but these syer one on his shoulder

And that’s all it takes

That sier pad to his shoulder

For the third ti in Scotland, it happens A wave of nausea washes overhead over heel, and shadows fall over ulfed in blackness

I’m noan It’s the ti son I’ellife flashes in frames, faster and faster, up until the presentUntil Ellie

"Riley?"

Eli’s voice pulls ainst my back His body is close My vision co quizzically back atintothat particular e that you noticed it first ’Twas lance at Eli The rest of the tea Everyone is pretty much in the same spot as when I swirled out of control and into Gawan’s past

Had it happened that fast? Mere seconds?

At least I didn’t hit the floor this ti artwork," I say to Gawan

"’Twas fine craftsmanship indeed," he answers Then, he studies me "Andorra told Dreadmoor and myself of your abilities Did you see thusly into my past? Just now?"

I nod "Yes" I cock irl Ellie? Was she dead?"

A slight smile touches Gawan’s lips "She is noife, but aye, she was morein betwixt, as we say Not quite dead Not quite alive, either" He looks at h"

Now that I knoan’s past, or at least a small piece of it, I find hi else about him that strikesbadass Crusader from the twelfth century He’s more than a warrior once proud of howabout him that wasn’t fully revealed to e of er on it

Maybe I should start wearing long gloves? See into a portion of their lives At the very least I need to learn control

"Let’s clean up and meet downstairs in half an hour," Jake says He starts for the door "Dreadmoor, Grimm," he calls, "this way"

With a nod, Gawan follows Jake and Tristan out of the dojo Eli kisses the top of my head "We should hurry," he says "I can hear your stoh Eli’s and we hh, the cataco down the Fallen as soon as dao ahead and return to solance at Eli One brow is raised

Maybe that won’t happen for some time

Part Five

CITY OF THE DEAD

‘Tis now the very witching tiht,

when churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out

Contagion to this world

--Williaedy of Hamlet, Prince of Den of Andorra���s pack of ive the Fallen a run for their coin Makes h I knowso

--Tristan de Barre, of Dreaduys downstairs," I say to Eli, just as we start to leave our rooet your purse?"

Idiot knows I don’t carry a purse Not that there’s anything wrong with purses; there’s just no roo a sword

Our task for tonight: conceal a shile h

"Where’s your purse?" I throw at Noah He grins and shrugs