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"I don’t intend to find out"

Her lips tightened "So your plan is to charge off like the Lone Ranger to capture the bad guy?"

A hint of aer?"

"Do you prefer Batman? Hellboy? Incredible Hulk?"

He fra deep into her eyes

"Does it ht it matters"

"Why?"

"Because…" She licked her dry lips "Because it’s stupid to take such a risk You’re supposed to be a king You have an endless nus"

"Hardly endless"

"You knohat Ithe corner of her lips

"I could send others in my place, but I won’t be satisfied unless I watch him die with my eyes, preferably by my own hands"

Her heart faltered Not at the jolt of need that clenched her sto near Salvatore would always stir her desire No, it was theall sorts of dangerous things to her heart

"Fine" She was forced to halt and clear the huskiness from her voice Just like a starry-eyed romantic Daet going by yourself"

His thu me orders, cara?"

"I’ over her upturned face with an unnerving intensity

"You said you didn’t want the position Have you changed your mind?"

"I…" Her mouth was dry, parched

With exquisite deliberation, Salvatore slowly lowered his head, brushing a soft kiss down the line of her nose

"Harley?"

"I’ with you"

"Why?"

"Because"

Salvatore pulled back, regarding her with lifted brows "That’s your explanation? Because?"

She ignored the hint of s pleasure in his voice She didn’t want to dissect her violent reaction to the thought of Salvatore leaving her behind

All thatstupid

"My explanation is that you’re not going alone, and that’s final"

"Hardly a reasonable argument," he countered

"Fine" Her chin tilted "Either I’ after Briggs, then we’ll go together"

He stilled, as if caught off guard by her words Then, with a slow s, as if she were the ether"

Chapter Twenty-Two

Caine didn’t kno long he had been unconscious

Actually, he didn’t kno he beca as a black,had entered the cave There had been pain Not the so-to-pay-for-this kind of pain, but the holy-shit-I’ more than to curl into a ball on the floor and whiht have been his fate if he hadn’t seen the strange mist headed directly for Cassandra

Instinct had taken over, and with a howl of fury, he had leaped directly into the path of the advancing fog He didn’t care what the hell the thing was, it wasn’t going to touch the fe, he forced his eyes open, wishing he hadn’t when the flickering candlelight sent a stab of pain through him

"Am I dead?" he croaked

There was a sweet scent of lavender and then Cassandra’s face appeared above hiled around her face

"Not now"

Caine’s heart forgot to beat at her somber words "Is that a joke?"