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That was al

Another complication sprouted If the warrior she craved Another complication sprouted If the warrior she craved was Amun, he wouldn’t want her when he discovered the truth about her The fact that he’d kissed her meant he hadn’t realized who she was and what she’d done to his friend, Baden When he did, he would want to kil her, not pleasure her

But he knew you were a Hunter You told hiht, than the Hunter who had helped behead his friend--and planned to do the same to al the others

Footsteps suddenly resounded Haidee swung around, facing the cel door She tensed, waiting, dreading A few seconds later, the blond, blue-eyed keeper of Defeat rounded the corner and approached her prison Bile burned a path up her throat His pretty features were devoid of emotion, but his skin was pale, the tracery of his veins evident

Though her heartbeat sped up, thu erratical y, she didn’t back aouldn’t act the coward

"How are you feeling?" she asked, just to taunt him "Have a tummy ache?"

Both of his sandy brows arched into his hairline, his eyes glittering dangerously His gaze perused her fro at her breasts, between her legs "I’ I ith you"

Cal"

That wasn’t the answer she’d expected, and she scowled at him But then, she should have known he wouldn’t simply endure her snide reh pleasantries

"Where’s the warrior?" she demanded "The one I ith?"

"You mean Amun, keeper of the demon of Secrets?" So calm, so certain "Or your boyfriend?"

Secrets, he’d said Just as she’d suspected The confirmation explained so much The knots in her sto further Stil , she wouldn’t confirm or deny what she knew

"Maybe that’s what you wantas a Hunter, while in reality, he’s real y your friend" The words croaked from her "Or maybe you just want me to hate my own boyfriend Maybe you want h at me"

"Noould I want that, huh? If he’s my friend, demon-possessed like me, yet I told you he wasn’t, that he was your man, you would do your best to watch over him And I would want my friend watched over, wouldn’t I?" Strider propped his shoulder against the bar, and though his head was turned, his hard gaze remained fixed on her "But if he isn’t, if he is your boyfriend, ould I give the pleasure of kil ing him to you, even for a joke?"

Her chin lifted a notch, her stubborn core refusing to be cowed Despite his sound reasoning "Why would you ader?"