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"You are not laughing," heher closer

"How can I? You sold your watch to buy combs for my hair, and I cut off hed "Don’t take that literally, it’s an analogy Souided lovers did in an O Henry story"

"‘Gift of the Magi’" He nodded "I knoell"

"So do I, and yet we both made the same mistake anyway" She looked up at his to talk about, and then there’s the e the world, but I need a break You wanted ht with you in Paradise Is that offer still good?"

"Oh, yes" He drew her to her feet, and led her back to the navcom, where he put in a new set of coordinates "If you’ll cast off, I’ll see to the sails"

"We’re actually sailing to Paradise?" She’d thought he’d used the word as a eupheht her around the waist, lifting her up for his kiss "Wait and see"

Chapter 16

Werren watched the cage containing Sa lowered by the crane "Has the master returned?"

"Not yet" Cleesture above his head for the crane operator to stop the winch Beneath their feet the shouting continued, joined now by a furious rattling sound "She stays in the cage until he does"

His scent had gone sour with the stink of fear, soo anywhere, and if she tries to hurt someone, the men will kill her" Unless she kills theo talk to her," Cles, and what Dutch expects from her"

"I have no authority to speak for the arded him "I believe that is your place, Mr Cleaave her a push toward the stairs "Tell her how it’s going to be Otherwise she’ll be hanging from the mast in shreds at dawn"

As Werren descended the narrow staircase, she considered using her gift oncephysical appearance was the most difficult illusion to maintain, however, as movements and speech constantly demanded thousands of tiny adjusts required le flick of thought In this instance, however, her actual appearancethe lady to listen

Werren found Sae with her boots, alternating left and right as she worked at creating a gap between the bars The scent of blood and copper made Werren’s stomach clench, and she saw the raounds the detective had inflicted on her wrists while trying unsuccessfully to free them fro Samantha to do precisely that, "I will re bitch" She resu you as I did," Werren said, raising her voice to be heard over the racket "I had no other choice but to carry out my master’s commands"

"You can drop the pathetic huainst one bar and trying to push it out with no success "I know you’re Kyn"

"Like you," Werren said "But you are of this ti you?"

Narrow hazel eyes glittered "Let me out of here and I’ll tell you all about me, my master, and our secrets"

She sounded pleasant, even sincere, but Werren knew better "Dutch will have all of his secrets once he brings him under his control You cannot escape The men will not permit it, and when you try, they will hurt us both"

Saive a rat’s ass what happens to you?"

"No Not now, not when you’re this angry But I can explain myself, my lady Once you hear what has been done to me and the others, you will understand how desperate our situation is" Despair rip the bars "Please, allow ripped her by the throat, cutting off her voice "Open the fucking cage Now"

"I cannot" Werren felt the other woift exploded out of her, transfor beast

Sahtened her grip "Drop the illusion, or I’ll rip your throat out"

Werren forced back the roiling power pouring out of her and resumed her honest appearance "What do you want, my lady? You hurt me, but I ae anywhere" She dug her strong fingers in deeper "Who are you? The truth this time"