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b1ecb08
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Trusting is hard. Knowing who to trust, even harder.
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valek
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Maria V. Snyder |
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fe8beb1
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"What have I earned from you, Valek? Loyalty? Respect? Trust?" "You have my attention. But give me what I want, and you can have everything."
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valek
yelena
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Maria V. Snyder |
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118f8bd
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But you've slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.
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maria-v-snyder
poison-study
valek
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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0f831da
|
"Another relative?" Valek asked. A broad smile stretched Moon Man's lips. "Yes. I am her mother's uncle's wife's third cousin." --Valek and Moon Man"
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valek
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Maria V. Snyder |
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972376e
|
"Your mother sounds like a formidable woman," Valek said into the silence. "You have no idea," Leif replied with a sigh. "Well, if she's anything like Yelena, my deepest sympathies," Valek teased. "Hey!" Leif laughed and the tense moment dissipated. Valek handed Leif his machete. "Do you know how to use it?" "Of course. I chopped Yelena's bow into firewood," Leif joked."
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leif
valek
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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2d2454d
|
Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you...but you slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.
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romantic
poison-study
valek
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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976d99d
|
"It's a dirty way to fight, but I'm late for lunch." - Valek to Yelena"
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fantasy
humor
valek
yelena
fight
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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eb301f0
|
"Well, Valek, any new promotions?" the Commander asked "No. But Maren shows promise. Unfortunately she doesn't want to be in my corps or even be my second.She just wants to beat me." Valek grinned, delighted by the challenge. "And can she?" the Commander inquired. His eyebrows rose. "With time and the proper training. She's deadly with her bow; it's just her tactics that need work." "Then what do we do with her?" "Promote her to General and retire some of those old wind-bags. We could use some fresh blood in the upper ranks." "Valek, you never had a good grasp of military structure." "Then promote her to First Lieutenant today, Captain tomorrow, Major the next day, Colonel the day after, and General the day after that." "I'll take it under advisement."
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valek
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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a8a05c0
|
I balled my hands into tight fists to keep them from wrapping around Mr. I-Know-Everything's superior neck.
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valek
yelena
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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dc9a7f5
|
"I shook my head at Janco. "I've got the situation under control. Go back to the Keep, I'll meet you there." Janco stared at me in astonished silence. Ari, though, trusted me. "Come on, she doesn't need our help." Ari sheathed his sword. Janco recovered. He flashed me one of his mischievous grins. "I'll bet you a copper that she'll be free in five minutes," he said to Ari. Ari grunted in amusement. "A silver on ten minutes," he countered.
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valek
janco
yelena
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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48d37e9
|
Valek coalesced from the shadows and wrapped me in his long lean arms. I soaked in his musky smell, listening to his heart beat. Strong and steady. No indication that he had been sneaking around.
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valek
yelena
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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771257a
|
In keeping with his cryptic nature, all your Story Weaver said was 'The horses know where to go.' It's certainly not a military strategy I would use, but I've learned that the south uses its own strategy. And, strangely enough, it works.
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story-weaver
leif
valek
yelena
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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16a23c5
|
"And what did you give him in return?"..."My heart."
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love
valek
yelena-zaltana
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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5eeaa39
|
"Ghost?" I asked. Moon Man pointed to Valek. "Kiki's name for him. It makes sense," he said, seeing the look of confusion on my face. "To magical beings, we see the world through our magic. We see him with our eyes, but cannot see him with our magic. So he is like a ghost to us." Valek listened to Moon Man. Although expressionless, I could tell by the rigid set to Valek's shoulders that he was prepared to strike. "Another relative?" Valek asked. A broad smile stretched Moon Man's lips. "Yes. I am her mother's uncle's wife's third cousin."
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valek
yelena
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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e72117f
|
You've slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.
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posion-study
valek
yelena
|
Maria V. Snyder |
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bc8c234
|
"Can you be an assassin without killing anyone?" Onora shot her an odd look. "I ... don't know. I don't think so." "Is there a name for people who have those skills?" Mara asked. "Yes. Dangerous," I said. Mara rubbed her hands together as a gleam lit her eyes. "Oh, I like that. I want to be dangerous."
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chronicles-of-ixia
leif
mara
onora
sitia
valek
yelena
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Maria V. Snyder |