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s an idea—especially one as big as that—he can’t be persuaded that h first”

“But you’re careful Measured”

I nod “I like to think so I certainly was back then, but noith you, I’m different”

“You still love rules, and thinking things through, and staying quiet, and watching”

“Yes, but you , and I haven’t even claiine hoill be once you bear my mark”

“You could be wild and dangerous” She grins “No ans”

“Let’s not get carried away” I kiss the tip of her nose

“Okay, so Leander wanted to go all ‘raarrr, fight to the death’ but you said, in an extra smarmy voice, ‘sire, that’s not smart,’ and then what happened?”

He arches a brow at e hishim sat heavily on my shoulders Without hin would be absolute, and there would be no one strong enough to stand against hi with his plan and told hie”

“Did you?”

“Of course not I sent the e and told Leander that I’d set the challenge for the following day He began to make preparations for the duel That afternoon, I rode out into the dead zone between our caathered at his back in inky tendrils An alarm went up in the cae had been accepted”

“That’s what the letter said? That you wanted to fight?”

“Yes The letter, purportedly frohter to duel with me for control of Cold Coe and keep Leander from harm’s way He was brave to a fault, but I couldn’t let him risk his life, not when heme So, I rode out to meet the deadliest weapon in Shathinor’s arsenal”

“Who was it?” She kicks her feet, her eyes wide

“Brannon”

She frowns “You mean your friend Brannon? The one in the Phalanx tasked with protecting Leander?”

“That’s the one, yes”

“This plot is thicker than Clotty’s pea soup”

“Indeed We both meet in the wasted, war-torn bit of Arin and dismount His darkness wraps around his that answer his coround aroundits breath as we draw our swords”

She holds her breath, too

“We don’t speak as we begin our dance He seeic at bay, as if he wants to play with me first So, I let hi for our lives and the lives of those we’ve sworn to protect He is formidable” I wink “But so am I I draw blood on more than one occasion, and he wounds me in shallos We duel for what see to defeat the other When I oes down A roar the likes of which I’ve never heard goes up fro blow”

She bites her nails

“I’round, skeletal hands clawing at ht, ion of nightmare creatures”

“He’s that powerful?”

“His darkness knows no bounds He followed the , and when he returned from the otherworld, he was a vessel for the blackest powers of night”

“Holy Ancestors”

“He called forth his creatures They slashed and bledcold as ebon ave way and dropped to hter filled my mind” I press a hand to my forehead “I can still hear it now”

“Chills, I tell you” She pulls the blanket over us “Then what happened?”

“The battle was lost I couldn’t overcome the darkness in him No one can He had his creatures hold ht, and beaten But I had one card left to play”

“Magic” Anticipation coats the word

I nod “The field was clear I could unleashwell until I realized I’d underestimated the strain the battle would put on , I eak Brannon had pulled an iron blade fro o to the Ancestors”

“What happened? How did you win?”

I cup her face “You”

“Me?” She frowns “But you didn’t even know me”

“The pro pulse ofyou?” I stroke her soft cheek “I couldn’t”