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"Here Sit up and drink this You’ll feel better"

My eyes crack open, and light pours in Someone must have pulled me off the rafters My body aches, and I feel beaten I squint, blink rapidly, and allow the pulseless es sa worm Warm liquid drizzles down y, but at least that roaring, fiery pain has disappeared I drink for a while Minutes Finally finished, I drift Again, I sleep

"Wake her, Noah," an elderly accented voice coht," he drawls "Someone hold this for me"

"I hate this," a now familiar voice mutters

I am awake I’m just so drowsy I keep h, I get a whiff of…so crashes over me and my eyes pop wide open I stare into the painfully beautiful face of the sah, I don’t want to fight I grasp him around the neck, pull his mouth to mine, and kiss him Hard He kissesfor an edge of cloth--his clothes--to yank off I can’t get enough of hirope He moans I moan--

"Noah!" the fa whoever was driving ainst as her to me"

With my mouth still latched on to my new obsession, my hands are pulled behind me and tethered My feet are bound I don’t care Only when theon is pulled from me do I become alert I blink several tiht-backed chair I watch closely

I’e, empty room Windowless And in it are six males All pulseless There’s only one heartbeat within, and it’s ish, it barely thumps five ti one another

"Gilles Dupré," one says "We’ve but one choice to right this matter"

The one called Gilles nods "Oui, Julian You are unfortunately correct" He glances at me "There is no other way?"

The one called Julian shakes his head He has long, straight silver hair pulled into a silver clip "No A force stronger than Valerian’s er than his venoaze passes overto the one called Gilles "In return for my aid, I require the return of my eldest son, Valerian" He looks at one of the males in particular "Unharmed and intact"

"He needs to be punished for his actions," that one called Eli deo free"

Julian nods "Of course And we shall see justice served Through our counsel, punishreed?"

Gilles glances at the others, then back to Julian "No harht nod "I vow it"

Gilles nods "Very well, then"

Julian"Victorian?"

"Yes, Father," he answers

In my next breath I am leapt upon by the ruesoed fangs drop from his top jaw, and i h my arteries, travels h ainst him, but it’s useless Inside, I’m on fire Literally

"Non!" the fa to the one called Eli shouts, and his voice is angered now, al I hear commotion

"Hold hihtly"

"Let her go!" Eli shouts "I will kill you right here!"

Pain tears through s re ins to seize

Then it’s over The fangs are withdrawn My head is now free and falls forward as the one called Julian releases th to raise h me Tears spill over my lids and run down my cheeks I watch them splatter onto the wood floor beneath ly, evenly It’s the one called Eli again "Let o Now"

"Jake, Noah, free him," another says