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"Screw this I’ He called out a final, "Enjoy,off

At least I heard him run off I didn’t takelike a statue It was a terrible sight, that stillness It was menace and hatred, frozen as ood old Toby--must’ve sensed it, because he said, "Dude, let’s just talk about this" He sounded as uneasy as I felt

I sidled closer, telling him in a low voice, "You should follow Danny" Yasuo was spiraling, and it was obvious he was all too happy to take Trainees doith him Besides, the farm boy was a distraction I desperately hoped the old Yas was still there, buried deep in that glaring creature, and this ot this"

"All you’ve got is the kiss of death," Yasuo hissed

"There’s death all around this island Don’t pin it onthat stare He was laser focused on me and yet completely oblivious to my words, my emotions "Come on, Yas Try to re"

I puted Yasuo to this cold, calculated-fury Yasuo "I heard you the first time"

"People around you don’t die in norrisly, fucked-up ends"

"Take it easy"

"It will be easy" He lunged atanother confrontation with my old friend, but I was in survival ht

He flung hied to duck and spin out of the way

"Get a grip, et involved Why didn’t he just leave? Was he looking out for me or for Yasuo?

"It doesn’t have to be this way," I pleaded

"It does" Yasuo was panting again, thatlike a filain, a broad swat at my head, then another But his movements were erratic, and I evaded them easily This wasn’t the old Yasuo--the old Yas had been eclipsed by a monster This was a creature driven by fury but unable to strategize Incapable of tactics His weren’t maneuvers; they were motions, crude and predictable

Maybe if I could stun hiet away The last thing I wanted was to fight hi to the ground, snatching the pitchfork frouys" Toby tried to insert himself between us "What the hell?"

Yas elbowed hi "Don’t Help Her" His voice had becorip on the tool Even in ht of Sonja Ruler of vampires Had there truly been such a woh to rule vauts to carve it into rock Thinking of her words, ie Sonja--if there was a woman who’d been that powerful, then I could be powerful, too

I tossed the fork up and held it in er a farm tool, it was a javelin A lance A sword A weapon

Yas aimed a roundhouse kick at my head, and the stick deflected him easily I jabbed his belly I could’ve hurt hi my old friend was harder than I’d ever have believed "I don’t want to hurt you," I said

The Draug were really losing it now Could that be my fear they smelled? And was it fear for myself or fear of what had become ofin and out, his breathing a bloody gurgle The Draug shrieked in response, rattling their iron bars in their hinges

"Oh fuck, oh fuck" Toby was really flipping out now

"Just get out of here," I shot at hi, he squatted and scooped up a rock A coldly self-preservational part of my brain noted how Trainees didn’t carry weapons Did vampires not carry weapons, either? Were they that proud? That arrogant? So to consider…if I survived this

Toby hefted that rock, and for a chilling moment it was unclear who it was for Because, for a moht ht me? Would one Trainee side with another, no s were cut short when Yasuo swept a foot towardhis knee with s," he intoned

I knew better than anyone horonged we’d all been But what if I were the one to set it all to right? This Sonja had becohted, I’d be the one to do it I parried hiht them first"

He peeled his lips into a snarl "Go to hell"

"Oh, I’h force to budge through the thick wool of his coat "Careful, or I ," Yasuo said

"Not that again" I jabbed again, and this ti thought that Iwere herded

"There has been a wrong, and I will right it"

"You do that, Yas"