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"Is it that obvious?" she asks sheepishly

"What? That he rocks your world? Yeah, girl, it is To me anyway" I drape an arm over her shoulders "Don’t worry Your secret is safe with uys, "you s for you"

Sydney lets out such a long, loneso rin at her "You sound like my brother Besides Wouldn’t matter if you did You’re i ainst the far wall of the dojo "Wanna go at it?"

Sydney lifts a brow "Might as well"

"Good," I answer, and we hug the walls of the dojo "I need to burn off so as hell, and her training has paid off She may not look it, but she can kick so that Tristan taught , and how to thrust, jab, and hack Sydney’s face is pure business as she weighsa furious sweat by the time we call a stalemate

"Ie of the mat "I think I’ rins "Never"

"You’ve i his sword "De Barre is a fair teacher"

"De Barre is a kick-ass teacher," I correct, then nod "You’re not too shabby yourself"

Gabriel eous face looks like in a full-blown s else No wonder Sydney has fallen for hi at hiht, but that is one i head over heels with Ms Maspeth All business, my ass I can see it in his eyes There’sthe Archivist safe and sound

I turn my attention to my employer "Jake," I say, and incline ers across the dojo The man towers over me and stares down at me with an unbendable look "Aye?" he asks

"I’ve been issued an invitation," I begin, , I continue "By someone who can speak to me inside my head And apparently have sex with ht it was Eli"

Jake raises a brow From the corner ofthe dojo

"Nice of you to share info, Poe Do you recognize this person?" Jake asks

I shake my head "I don’t think so I haven’t seen his entire face" I leave out the part about the erotic sex dreas me shame "I don’t really knoho he is--"

"It’s a man?" he asks

"It’s a , if he can speak to me in my head"

Jake nods "So true"

"So that’s all he did was give you an invite so up to stand beside me "Out of the blue?"

I eye Noah "Watch that jealous tone, spud," I warn "And no He seemedfamiliar to me And with me Yet I’m sure I never met him before"

"Where did he invite you to?" asks Darius, joining in His hair is loose about his shoulders, and he’s pulling it back froathers it with a leather band and awaits my answer

I look at him "Some event at the Marimae House He says it’s--"

"In Nen," finishes Gabriel "Still an old hoh’s elite turns out, as well as many Londoners"