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"It’s just a few cuts"

"Where?"

"My left thigh,down, he swept her into his arh he was careful not to touch any of her wounds, it still hurt

"I can walk," she insisted between teeth gritted against the pain

"You wouldn’t be able to keep up"

The world around her blurred A strong breeze whipped through her hair, tugging it across her face

When everything came back into focus and her hair fell away, she discovered they stood on top of a building down the street

"Wow You weren’t kidding when you said I couldn’t keep up What--?"

"I didn’t want to take any chances The ht is over, as though they want to make sure they nab the immortal victor instead of the va in?"

"No Will you watch the battle scene for erly lowered her to her feet "Are you okay to stand?"

"Yes and yes I really don’t think the cuts are too deep They just hurt And stop looking like that"

"Like what?"

"Like I’ve suffered a o back and kill the vaain"

"Here" He handed her his infrared scope "I would go back and kill the va hurt I don’t like you being in pain"

She raised the scope to her right eye and squeezed her left eye closed The world appeared before her, normal black combined eird shades of blue and purple and occasional splashes of yellow, orange, and red

Etienne peeled her coat back and bent to check the wound at her waist "What do you see? Any hu past in a truck A couple back near the frat--Jeeze! I think they’re having sex! Euw! In the bushes? Who does that?"

Was that a laugh?

She opened her left eye and checked

Yes, she had wrung a srunted when he prodded the cut "That hurts, you know"

"It needs stitches"

"No, it doesn’t Just get ," he instructed and turned his attention to her thigh "Good They ain "Yeah What is it with va down a gazelle They think to hobble you, then move in for the kill"

"Bastards"

"Yes"

She turned in a coto exa I don’t think they caht"

He waited for her to settle, then checked out her hip "This one needs stitches, too"

"Quit cohtened and took the scope fro concern"

"Well, you’re harshingto celebrate"

He raised the scope to his right eye and turned in a circle "I think if they were here they would have co by now"

"They certainly didn’t dawdle the last time we encountered the, think a warning and I’ll hear it"

"Where are you--?"

He vanished Or moved so swiftly he seemed to But his aura helped her trace his ht

Krysta raised the scope to her eye and looked around No h the scope as it streaked back toward her

"Okay," he said, stopping before her "Let’s call it a night"

"What did you do?"

"Confiscated the va into the Dumpster"

"Oh"

"Let’s head for the car"

She halted him when he bent to lift her into his arms "I can walk, Etienne Really The wounds aren’t that bad"

Brushing her hands aside, he lifted her into his aro, you can tell yourself that I’ this because I think your injuries have weakened you I’ for an excuse to hold you"

"I can do that," she said, looping her arms around his neck "Which one is it?"

"I’ll let you decide"