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Yes Yes She

Had Died Hunters had used her as Bait--dressed her up like a pretty, helpless dol , sent her knocking on Baden’s door, begging for help She had lured hihter The rest of the Lords had arrived just before he’d lost his head; they’d attacked But even if they had arrived a few minutes sooner, they would have been too late Al the pieces of the game had been set

Amun remembered the blood, the screa Haidee’s head when the battle had final y ended, and like Baden, she’d been without a body Not even an immortal could recover from that

Otherwise Baden, more alive than anyone he’d ever knoould have risen froo

Instead, the man’s soul was trapped somewhere in the heavens

The horror intensified to a shattering level Aer he ed in the past, the more likely he was to lose his tether on the other deep, dark ee He would destroy the fortress in a way Maddox, keeper of Violence, never had, ruining their home stone by precious stone

His hands fel away from Haidee and flopped to his sides

Her past faded, as did his own, and he could only stare at her, this present version, hate blending with his horror--

then co hatred flooding him, the lust remained undiminished

His body siue swiped over hera sheen of moisture Dust motes sparkled around her, and with the pink streaks in her hair and the haze of his vision, she looked like an X-rated fairy-tale fantasy coed her breasts, and her nipples were pearled into decadent peaks "What was that?" she breathed, unaware of the change in him

What do youout before he could reason what to do, how to proceed

"The…memories Of me as a child, then as me as an adult, on the veranda"

She’d seen what he’d seen, then That had never happened before, either And yet, she made no mention of Baden--

but then, Amun hadn’t truly pictured his friend, had he? No, not true He had There’d been a split-second glimpse She just hadn’t noticed, then, the otherher attention captive

Therefore, she would have no warning, no way to prepare herself for his retaliation And he would

Retaliate He needed to punish her, needed to hurt her So very badly

Stil she didn’t seem to notice the darkness of his emotions

Gray eyes wide, she shook her head "I’ve never reood parts of my lives Those memories are always taken from me"

Lives As in, more than one Had she been reborn more than once? Was she here to finish the job she’d started al those centuries ago? To cause the destruction of everyone he loved?

How had she gotten here? Why hadn’t she tried to kil him already? Why did she treat him with such affection? He’d never had to wonder about someone’s motivation before

He knew the truth, always Knehat those around hi, increasing the depths of his rage

Answers first, he decided Except, he had no idea how to urge her in that direction

"Whatever you did…however you did it…" Wonder consu her up "Thank you"

With a shaky hand, she brushed a budding tear from the corner of her eye "Thank you I knew I’d once had a sister, but I hadn’t knohat she looked like"

And the other vision? Could he trust a single word out of her deceitful mouth?

"I have an idea, but I’m not sure" Slowly she smiled, a vibrant smile of white teeth and untaain? I can find out if I’ht"

The sht, should have warned hi impact a ful -on smile would cause It hadn’t He sucked in a breath, lost in her--and never wanting to be found

The gray of her eyes lightened so much he could see tiny flecks of blue The rose in her cheeks deepened, his fingers itching to discover if the color warmed her flesh, or if those cheeks were as deliciously chil ed as the rest of her

He couldn’t soften, he reminded himself darkly Couldn’t crave her in any way

"What?" she asked, suddenly unsure She’d final y noticed the change in him "You’ve never looked atat you? Like he wanted to stab her? He would Soon For Baden For the others who stil mourned the loss of their friend

"Like I’ his chest, her breath fanning over his ear "I like it," she whispered

He could only sit there, wanting desperately to grab her, hold her there--to choke her, he assured himself--but unable to make his useless body cooperate Then, as if she hadn’t just sent a thousand bolts of white-hot need--to choke her--through hi them to the business at hand

"Okay So We can’t leave yet, which means we have to prepare Maybe…ht buy us some time"

Leave? She meant to leave with hi to pry information out of him? That made no sense Unless…

Prepare for what? His execution?