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Defeat’s nose broke under the next strike of Amun’s palm

Blood poured That cris digging into her beautiful neck--and that only increased the depths of his rage

"Tel me you appreciate what she did for us Tel me!"

"You want me to lie? She was a Hunter," Strider shouted, a few of his teeth"A kil er"

"We’re kil ers!" Another strike Another direct hit Two pearly whites sailed through the air

"Dae increased as wel , and he kneed Aroin "She couldn’t be trusted I realized that

Why can’t you?" The words were slurred as they pushed through the empty spaces where his teeth had been

Amun shook off the pain What was physical pain after the e his wo the warrior flailing to the ground On impact, Strider lost his breath The warrior was quick to recover, and they rol ed, stil pounding on each other--until they slas and cracked the wood

A down at the man he’d once cal ed brother "I trusted her more than I trusted anyone else Even you"

Strider pushed, sending A to the other side of the rooain, he closed the distance between them No mercy Secrets knew Strider planned to kick, and so Amun jumped out of the way, spun, punched and ducked, punched and ducked "You wanted her, but you would have tortured her You would have ruined her"

"No" Soht, have been able to love her, but only after you’d broken her" Final y, contact

Strider hunched over, trying to catch the breath he’d only just found "Don’t you see what’s happening?

She’s dead, but stil she’s pul ing us apart I love you I left this fortress for you So you could have her"

"You left this fortress for you" No ain

"You couldn’t win her, and you knew it" A back into another wal"I would have married her, pale one of you to accept her But you wouldn’t have, would you? She was just another chal enge to you But you knohat? She rejected you, and you walked away froes now You wil feel pain You knohy? Because I chal enged you, and you just lost" With that, Amun punched him Punched him so hard his jawbone dislocated completely

Strider was knocked unconscious Even then, he was in physical pain, uish of his defeat

Arabbed hihtly he couldn’t quite draw in a breath Yet stil he fought His wohted He wouldn’t stop until he was appeased

And he would never be appeased

"I’ to die with her! And if you don’t watch your stupid , too!"

Strider released anotherAmunto hold hi to subdue hiht"

"You’l get through this"

"No No!" His body was already badly beaten, weakened, but stil he fought, his rage like a living entity

"It’s gonna be okay, buddy"

"No!"

They squeezed tighter

"Let us help you"

"What if we spoke to the angel? What if so can be done," he snarled

Tighter stil

Haidee, he screamed inside his head then Soon, I’l be with you soon We’l be… His thoughts fragain

Darkness rained down like poisoned arrows He welcomed the storm with open arms

CHAPTER THIRTY

"AMUN," A GENTLE VOICE cal ed

A at it as deter at Strider That voice, so familiar, so necessary Forever lost

"Ales increased until final y, aly, he was able to blink open his eyes--and what he saw took his breath away Haidee His beautiful Haidee She looray eyes