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She just needed to wait for him to close the door

She held her breath and waited He closed the door, and she knew she had to move immediately

Samarah said a prayer just before she iveness And one for death, that it would come swiftly For Ferran, or for her

He turned as she was poised to overtake him, and her eyesin those dark depths so alive So vibrant He was striking, beautiful even

So very familiar

In spite of all the years, she knew him And in that moment, all she could do was stare, motionless Breathless

That moment was all it took

Ferran stepped to the side, reaching out and grabbing her arh the weak point of his hand where his fingers overlapped, as she crossed one leg behind the other and dipped toward the floor, lowering her profile andherself out of harm’s way

She turned and sidestepped, grabbing his shoulder and using his thigh as a step up to his back She swung herself around, her forear in her hand

He grabbed her wrist, a growl on his lips, and she fought to tug out of his grasp, but this ti her escape

She growled in return, tightening her hold on his neck with her other arainst the wall, the i the air from her

She swore and held fast, her thighs tight around his waist, ankles locked together at his chest His hand wrapped around her wrist, he took her ar and swore, fighting against him

But her surprise was lost, and while she was a skilled fighter, she was oute

She closed her eyes and iined her home Not the streets of Jahar, but the palace One she and her mother had been evicted from after the death of her father After the sanctioned execution of her father Sanctioned by Ferran

Adrenaline shot through her and she twisted to the side, using her body weight to put more pressure on his neck He stumbled across the room, flipped her over his shoulders She landed on her back on the floor, the braided rug doing little to cushion her fall, the breath knocked from her body

She had to get up This would be the death of her, and she knew it Ferran was ruthless, as was his father before hiacy of her entire life He would think nothing of breaking her neck, and she well knew it