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“Dying to try it? Dying, really? Hugh, you otten your wish! And do your stairs at horu statue, h as I run my hands over the back of his head, then down his shoulders and arht you passed out” No major lumps or bumps present, thank God

“I was laughing Silently It was a, Holly!” His blue eyes are as wide as saucers, but his pupils are, thankfully, even and not at all dilated

“Did you hit your head?”

“Nope Not even a little bit”

“You’re sure?” He gives an adamant shake of it that al in your ears?”

“I just bumped my knees on this” He taps the tall pedestal the statue once stood on “Really, I’m fine,” he insists with a dazed but happy smile

“Okay” I blow out a relieved breath “I’ht places, though I’m not sure about your brain” I suddenly feel sorry for histells me this is the start of his career as an adrenaline junky

“He hasn’t got any brains” Archie giggles as he reaches the botto to flip when he sees what you’ve broken”

“Maybe he won’t” The older boy’s s abouthard to protect theht-year-old’s understanding of what she’s going through

“Maybe we can fix it before your uncle gets back” This elusive duke, the absentee overlord, who I iout “First things first, we need to hide it” Before Chrissy and the crew start work Chrissy won’t tell, I don’t think, but Mari is another story That bitch has got it in for ot a ht e she’d apparently coveted to the castle itself “Corabs my offered hand, and I pull him to his feet He seems pretty steady, so I turn to the next casualty “What do you suppose his name is?”

“Unfortunate” Hugh snickers, toeing a chip of marble by his foot

“It is an unfortunate day when you lose your head,” I agree, picking up the decapitated piece “Oof This one’s got rocks in his head”

“It is an unfortunate day when you lose your willie,” Archie asserts

“His what?” My head whips around to what I thought was a stray chip ofup the offending piece Pieces? “It doesn’t look like he had a lot to lose in the first place”

The boys set off laughing I’m not sure if the sound is infectious or this is the way my body sees fit to rid itself of an excess of adrenaline because, before long, I have tears strea down my face