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"Of course," he said in a faint voice He pushed his chair back and got to his feet

Owen hesitated, then held out his hand, but the wo herself to his body and pressing her breasts against his chest He hesitated again, then aardly patted her on the back before stepping out of her embrace as fast as he could Ale hietaway

Her antics did not amuse me - not one little bit Especially since the wo at my lover like she'd very one conclusion that she would, despite my presence at the table

Finally, she tore her gaze away fro to introduce me to your friend?"

"Of course," he echoed again "Salina Dubois, this is Gin Blanco Gin, Salina "

I discreetly tucked my knife back into my purse, closed the top, and put it down on the table Then I got to my feet Salina held out her hand to me, the same remote expression on her face that she'd shown McAllister - the one that told ht I was

Still, I took her hand Even assassins could be polite on occasion Her grip was firainstfroination

Soic even when they weren't actively using their power, like eain I felt a faint flicker of ht that perhaps she had Ice h for that No, her ic feltsofter andacross my skin Perhaps she was just a weak Ice eleifted in an offshoot power, like water

We shook, but I didn't io of her hand afterward Instead, I held on and turned it to the side, staring at the silverstone bracelet on her right wrist The cuff was n to it, like soht have worn Delicate loops and whorls had been etched into the center of the cuff, along with a rune - ahair, a curled-up tail, and a serene smile

Eleiants, vaically inclined in Ashland and beyond used runes to identify themselves, their power, their families, and their businesses So it didn't surprise me that Salina had her own personal rune In fact, it seemed especially suited for her, since a ine Salina perched on a rock so but a seashell bra and a s sailors to their watery deaths with a er

What botheredto Owen once upon a ti at her

Butabout Salina's mermaid rune seemed familiar to me, like I'd seen the shape sogling around, trying to break through to the surface ofsomeone like Salina She was the sort of person as hard to forget, if the reaction of all the men, and some of the women, in the room was any indication

"What a beautiful bracelet," I murmured

I traced er over thethe same sensation from the bracelet I was off Salina's hand - one of cool, constant ic then, like so s, watches, and necklaces

Salina pulled her hand out of erprints off the cuff's glossy surface "A family heirloom "