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“We’ll get through the red a lot quicker if she’s out cold,” Mace said “She isn’t exactly up to the teao faster if we knock her out and carry her”

She frowned at the huge ht not be able to run as fast as Mace, but she was a nore man with a tiny brain

She tuned theot the i tension than actually winning the argument But she was so bored She even wished she had the diaet a closer look at the patterns on the snake They were so pretty She even liked how it felt to hold him Was it a he or she? She should really ask Striker When he wasn’t shouting

“Hey,” she whispered to his living tattoo, entertaining herself, “come play with me”

Her jaw dropped when the head of the snake led

“What the hell?” Striker shouted

The next thing she knew, the dia across the floor of the main cavern toward her seat The sudden silence was oppressive Everybody in the roo to curl in her lap It butted her hand tored under the shocked stares of the team at the same time

“Sorry,” she said “I was bored and thought I’d hang out with the snake Carry on shouting Don’t mind us”

“Did she just…?” Mace pointed at her

“What?” She petted the aniled into her She probably should have felt like prey, but mainly she felt comforted

“Bébé, you called my snake off my body” Striker’s voice was soft as he took a step toward her His ar those distracting shoulders bulge

“I’m sorry?” It was clear fro “I didn’t mean to I just asked him if he wanted to come play, and he did”

The men shared uneasy looks Striker crouched down in front of her and put his hands on her knees

“You don’t understand You shouldn’t have been able to communicate with the snake, let alone call it to you and have it obey”

“Oh” She looked down at the reptile “This has never happened before?”