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0c30d3e
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Yelena? Hello?" Leif poked my arm. "I'm here." "What are we going to do?" Leif asked me. "It's too late to go anywhere else. Kiki and the horses will watch the outside of the building and alert me if anyone approaches." "Ooh, guard horses. How quaint."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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e105f4a
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Parents teach their children to share, to play fair, to be honest. But...surprise! Life isn't fair. And it takes a while to transition from the childhood lies to the adult reality. I
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Maria V. Snyder |
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dd94f84
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What have I earned from you, Valek? Loyalty? Respect? Trust?" "You have have my attention. But give me what I want and you can have everything"."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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0955556
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There is a reason for everything, Opal. You might not be able to figure it out, and time might have made us all forget it, but the reason is there all the same.
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raiden
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Maria V. Snyder |
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7a74f9a
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You can't let the past ruin your future, I changed over in my mind.
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past
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Maria V. Snyder |
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92738e4
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Knowledge, whatever the form, could be as effective as a weapon. Soon
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Maria V. Snyder |
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1cb6228
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It can't be good news," Leif said. "I'd doubt you would brave the weather just to say hello." "You opened the door before I could knock," I said. "You must know something's up." Leif wiped the rain from his face. "I smelled you coming." "Smelled?" "You reek of Lavender. Do you bathe in Mother's perfume or just wash your cloak with it?" he teased. "How mundane. I was thinking of something a little more magical."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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d775c00
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Behind the candle, Dax's face turned red and he sputtered as if suppressing a cough. A flash seared my eyes as the wick ignited. "That's rude." His outraged expression was comical. "You wanted it lit." "Yeah, but I didn't want to do it for you!" He glanced around the room as if seeking the patience to deal with an unruly child. "Zaltanas and their weird powers, forcing me to light the candle. Pah! To think I wanted to live vicariously throu..
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Maria V. Snyder |
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c0cc875
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THAT'S PATHETIC, YELENA," Dax complained. "An all-powerful Soulfinder who isn't all-powerful. Where's the fun in that?" He threw up his long thin arms in mock frustration. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not the one who attached the 'all-powerful' to the title."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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06de138
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Don't feel ashamed for having those feelings and those memories. What happened in the past can't be changed, but they can be a guide for what happens in your future.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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86b7129
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My ma says there will always be sharks in the water. Nothing you can do about it except be careful where you swim." "Your"
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Maria V. Snyder |
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1346e80
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Living with your decision must be hard. Nothing I or anyone can say will give you any peace. You must reconcile your actions in your heart. In the meantime, we'll take it slow." His hand stroked my cheek. I opened my eyes. He leaned closer and our lips met. A tender kiss, short and sweet. He smiled. "A good first gather." I laughed at the glassmaking reference."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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7ca0463
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mixing myself with the hard stone. A stone had a single purpose: to
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Maria V. Snyder |
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a9711cf
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My feelings toward you were genuine. Those days we were together as a couple were the happiest of my life.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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f268e07
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You once said I wasn't ready to believe your reason for killing Reyad. I'll believe you now." "But I'm not ready to tell you," I said and left the room."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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c6587d7
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I'm sure you're just dying to tell me all the campus gossip about me. Right?" "I do have a life. Maybe I've been too busy to listen to rumors," he huffed, pretending to have hurt feelings. I looked at him. He sighed. "Okay, you win. I'm bored out of my skull. Second Magician is busy playing detective, and Gelsi is neck-deep in some project and I never see her anymore." Dax paused dramatically. "My life is so boring that I have to live vicar..
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Maria V. Snyder |
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1428918
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Fourteen years without a mother had me believe I could be stoic when I finally met her.
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stoicism
mother
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Maria V. Snyder |
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c697bfa
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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."
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Maria V Snyder |
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7855b95
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As far as threats went, Yelena couldn't be outdone.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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a8706db
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Valek would get more from me than a smile.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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ed645e8
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Dead air surrounded me. My magic was gone.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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76c7ba3
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I couldn't let my fear stop me from doing what I needed to do.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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cb1570b
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It's a good thing you can't read my mind, love.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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86749d5
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Everyone makes choices in life. Some bad, some good. It's called living, and if you want to bow out, then go right ahead. But don't do it halfway.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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34a70fa
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You keep things interesting, love. It would be boring without you.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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1743045
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I left Kiki in the yard, and fetched my pick and brushes. She lifted her leg and I dislodged the stone then pulled the shedding blade through her copper hair. After a while, I removed my cloak. When I finished, clumps of horse hair clung to my sweaty clothes. You're beautiful and I need a bath, I said to her. Pasture or stall? Stall. Nap time.
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yelena
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Maria V. Snyder |
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24ff55f
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As far as threats went, Yelena couldn't be outdone. People might risk pain and even death for a cause, but spending eternity in the fire world was just too big a price to pay.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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e57829a
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Broken trust was harder to fix than bones.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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97334b2
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Liv held out her right index finger. "I've got a splinter that I can't get out. It's killing me and affecting my duty." "Uh-huh." I examined the minuscule speck that could be dirt."
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healer
liv
splinter
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Maria V. Snyder |
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9809b0e
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Kerrick the weed.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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cdc2f91
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It's a good thing you're not my Story Weaver. You're easily distracted by the pattern of the cloth and can't see the quality of the threads." "Well"
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Maria V. Snyder |
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ef6a297
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But for a rat to like the cat? That scenario ended only one way. With one dead rat.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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0ca2415
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Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To survive is to know you're taking that risk and to not get out of bed clutching illusions of safety.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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4d87583
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Piles of books on the floor made walking a straight line difficult.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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9a2f34a
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Living is a risk," I snapped at him. "Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. To survive is to know you're taking that risk and to not get out of bed clutching illusions of safety."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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c3832bd
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Blue Eyes pulled his sword back and tried another lunge. I pushed the weapon toward the ground, but again he flicked his wrist. A line of fire blazed on my right arm. Wonderful. Matching cuts. He paused with his sword held in midair. My blood stained the tip. I glanced past him. Didn't anyone hear the fight? Should I scream? "Submit? You will have so many cuts on your arms and legs, you will faint from lack of blood." "No."
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Maria V. Snyder |
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0da1b51
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I spent my first hours back cocooned in an excited babble of all my friends and family. Everyone except Valek. But I knew I would see him when the horde dispersed.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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8e6705c
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I'm beginning to wish that you were an orphan, love. Can you both manage to focus on the task at hand without trying to catch up on fourteen years of sibling rivalry?
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Maria V. Snyder |
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2420b38
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Where did you stay?' 'I had a room in Valek's suite.' Leif shot me an incredulous look. 'Boy, you worked fast.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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65a150b
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In the war room, love? What if someone comes in?' 'Then they'll have a good story to tell.' 'Good?' He adopted the pretense of being offended. 'Prove me wrong.' His eyes lit with the challenge.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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76c0f31
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Ixia wasn't perfect, but there were benefits to living there. For me, Valek was one.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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48e970e
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We climbed to the sixth floor, and I waited in the hallway outside number sixty-six with a couple bodyguards while the others checked the apartment and lit the lanterns. When
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Maria V. Snyder |
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83de1d0
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But you slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.
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Maria V. Snyder |
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3428ac7
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When Valek stopped to consult with another adviser, I glanced around. A handful of the Commander's advisers were women, and I noticed two female Captains and one Colonel. Their new roles were one of the benefits of the takeover. The Commander assigned jobs based on skills and intelligence, not on gender. While the monarchy preferred to see women work as maids, kitchen helpers and wives, the Commander gave them the freedom to choose what the..
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Maria V. Snyder |