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Soed In her In him In them both For not only would she refuse to succuerthe way they had beco An awareness that it had coht time?

Not with Sienna, no

He bent down to the Qudamah-crested dispatch box which accompanied him everywhere and pulled out a slim leather box He held it out towards her but she shook her head, the thick dark hair flying like a storm

‘No, Hashim!’ She would not be paid off—have him bid her fareith the expensive baubles she had previously refused to accept ‘Whatever it is, I don’t want it I don’t want your dia tiht, and I meant it!’

He laughed softly ‘I know you did, my fiery Sienna,’ he ems are a little wide of the ers around it, his black eyes washing over her ‘Please Open it’

So as she flicked open the catch to see a necklace lying against indigo velvet But it was no ordinary necklace The chain was as fine as a sliver of light and in the centre of it lay a tiny golden bird

‘H-Hashim?’ she questioned shakily

‘Here’ He lifted it from the box and placed it into the centre of her palant snake, the s like the sun

‘What is it?’

‘It is an eagle—a golden eagle She flies on the flag of Qudamah and is the symbol of my country—for she represents freedom and power This is the only time you will ever see her chained’

Like hiht flew unbidden into her mind Freedom and power and never to be chained She studied it intently, focusing fiercely on the workmanship because at least that kept the tears at bay ‘It’s…beautiful’

‘Shall I put it on for you?’

Sienna nodded, unable to speak for fear that she would blurt out words which could never be taken back Words of love which wouldeven more painful