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“You were born for the Market, weren’t you?” she asked “The dance gets you two questions, and the beautiful dancer used theler for the truth, what else do you have to give?”
“What else do you want?” Mae returned “Besides the obvious”
Liannan tilted her head, considering
“I want a kiss”
Mae blinked at her “A—a kiss?”
Liannan stood watching her, silent, as if she felt an echo deserved no reply She was still s her lower lip Mae was suddenly very aware of the demon’s ht again of poisonous plants
“A kiss?” Sin echoed fro “I have a certain amount of expertise on the subject”
“No,” Mae said quickly She appreciated the gesture, but she didn’t want to be rescued fro she could handle herself “You can have your kiss I’ll do it”
She reached out, her hand treers
Liannan laughed, and Mae felt it like a knife running along her spine
“I’ll keep you both in mind for later But I don’t believe I mentioned who I wanted the kiss from”
“Ah,” said Mae, feeling both saved and at the saht”
Liannan turned away from them
“I’ve alanted to do this,” she remarked “Summon one of you Make you see what it’s like I call on the one the Goblin Market calls a traitor I call on the liar, the demon lover, the murderer I call on Alan Ryves!”
Alan stepped out of the shadows of ruins and into the rass to the circles whereall around the Market, like a nest of snakes waking and uncoiling, ready to strike
The demon smiled and beckoned Alan on
“I do hope you won’t think I was being too harsh,” Liannan murmured
“No,” said Alan “It was just the truth”
“It always is,” Liannan told hi it”
She was standing at the very edge of the place where the circles joined,palely at her feet Alan stopped about an inch away frorass
“Coirl promised me a kiss, and you knohat happens to her if she can’t keep her promise”
The threat was clear and the thought—possession—like a blow to the stoh Mae felt sick and winded, she didn’t feel afraid Alan wouldn’t let it happen Not in a thousand years
She opened herto think of some way to phrase, Sorry, I know saucy deht, but Alan looked at her and smiled with his ridiculous amount of charm
“It’s all right, Mae,” he said “It’s all right, Liannan,” he added in the same warm voice “I don’t mind”
“And what if the Market folk stone you to death?” Liannan asked “Will you mind then?”
“I probably will mind that, yes,” said Alan, as calm as she was
Liannan shrugged, a loose, sinuous movement “Men have died for less than a kiss from me before now What do you desire, Alan Ryves?”
They atching each other Mae was surprised at how disturbed she felt by the sight of them, both so clearly fascinated
“Safe passage”
“Nobody’s ever safe,” Liannan said “But you will coht Now take it off”
Alan put one hand up to his shirt collar and flicked open a couple of buttons, then drew out his talisht in a brief moment of beauty He reached into the circle and placed his talisman in Mae’s outstretched hand, the knotted leather the talisone
He closed her fingers over the talisht
Alan stepped into the demon’s place where the circles overlapped and torlds collided, where Liannan stood waiting for him
He stood looking down at her He wasn’t tre as Mae had been He looked across his breakfast table at a dee kind of sense that he wasn’t afraid
Liannan reached out and ran her icicle fingers down Alan’s cheek, light but still drawing blood at the first touch A bead of blood welled up and then ran down his face to follow her hand, tracing down Alan’s throat to the exposed hollohere his talisman should have rested
“I have a memory of you,” Liannan said slowly
“Yes?” Alan asked “Well, have another”
Alan reached out and touched the de her head up a little He kissed her, light as a shiver in a sudden cold breeze, and then not so lightly
Liannan’s red hair curled around Alan’s shoulders like bloody tendrils, seeking, trying to wrap around hiainst the hard line of his body The air was electric and crackling with ic, the whispers of the deers around the demon’s neck and pulled her closer
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“You were born for the Market, weren’t you?” she asked “The dance gets you two questions, and the beautiful dancer used theler for the truth, what else do you have to give?”
“What else do you want?” Mae returned “Besides the obvious”
Liannan tilted her head, considering
“I want a kiss”
Mae blinked at her “A—a kiss?”
Liannan stood watching her, silent, as if she felt an echo deserved no reply She was still s her lower lip Mae was suddenly very aware of the demon’s ht again of poisonous plants
“A kiss?” Sin echoed fro “I have a certain amount of expertise on the subject”
“No,” Mae said quickly She appreciated the gesture, but she didn’t want to be rescued fro she could handle herself “You can have your kiss I’ll do it”
She reached out, her hand treers
Liannan laughed, and Mae felt it like a knife running along her spine
“I’ll keep you both in mind for later But I don’t believe I mentioned who I wanted the kiss from”
“Ah,” said Mae, feeling both saved and at the saht”
Liannan turned away from them
“I’ve alanted to do this,” she remarked “Summon one of you Make you see what it’s like I call on the one the Goblin Market calls a traitor I call on the liar, the demon lover, the murderer I call on Alan Ryves!”
Alan stepped out of the shadows of ruins and into the rass to the circles whereall around the Market, like a nest of snakes waking and uncoiling, ready to strike
The demon smiled and beckoned Alan on
“I do hope you won’t think I was being too harsh,” Liannan murmured
“No,” said Alan “It was just the truth”
“It always is,” Liannan told hi it”
She was standing at the very edge of the place where the circles joined,palely at her feet Alan stopped about an inch away frorass