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“Came to see if I’m still alive?” he mocked as he raised his arms for her to inspect him, perfectly intact, from head to toe

“Ha, ha” She slid onto a barstool “Seriously, though, thank you for listening toyourself into trouble”

“Well, except for that shifter,” he said in a contrite tone

Jade didn’t want hiuilt—he’d done a fantastic job when the eneed you And by the way, nice swing and aim” She considered how quickly Michael had reacted to her instruction and how solidly he’d delivered a blow to the wolf, stabbing it in the chest and an could reat, actually”

He said, “I didn’t particularly like seeing the wolf’s throat ripped out”

“Me either, but that’s how you defeat shifters Toran made me learn on a chicken”

“That’s disgusting, Jade”

“Yes, it is” She paused, then ventured, “Maybe you’d like to join us for so me”

He gave her a curious look “Really, you’d allow that?”

“Doesn’t hurt to kno to properly defend yourself”

“Interesting offer, especially co froh he was proud of himself that he’d won her approval “I’ll take you up on that”

“Good Now there’s sole my work here and slayer duties I barely sleep”

“Yeah, I can see froh he didn’t know the true source of the redness still burning bright “I understand,” he told her “Besides, it’d be undignified for you to be a bar wench when you’re the Demon Queen”

Her heart sank even further; and not only from his jest “I won’t be crowned in the near future, if ever, so stop looking glum I have sufficiently pissed off Davian For the last tiuess”

Michael seemed to debate whether or not he wanted to continue this topic, but finally asked, “How’d you e that?”