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Nesta ju wide The king lunged again, and Nesta again dodged and retreated through the trees

Leading hied to draw hirew bored

In two movements, he had her disarmed In another, he struck her across the face, so hard she went down

Cassian cried out her na only sheathed his sword, towering over her as she pushed off the ground "Well? What else do you have?"

Nesta turned over, and threw out a hand

White, burning power shot out of her palet hiuard

Her power sent hi under him One after another after another

The Cauldron seemed to settle All that was left--that was it All that was left of her power

Nesta surged to her feet, staggering across the clearing, blood at her mouth from where he’d hit her, and threw herself to her knees before Cassian "Get up," she sobbed, hauling at his shoulder "Get up"

He tried--and failed

"You’re too heavy," she pleaded, but still tried to raise hi in his black, bloodied arroaned

Her power had stopped hurling the king across the forest He now stalked toward the his tihter

Nesta gritted her teeth, trying to haul Cassian up once more A broken sound of pain ripped from him "Go! " he barked at her

"I can’t," she breathed, voice breaking "I can’t"

The sarunted in pain, but lifted his bloodied hands--to cup her face "I have no regrets in my life, but this" His voice shook with every word "That we did not have time That I did not have time with you, Nesta"

She didn’t stop hihtly Asaway the tear that streaked down her face, "I will find you again in the next world--the next life And ill have that ti of Hybern stepped into that clearing, dark poafting froertips

And even the Cauldron see as Nesta looked at the king with death twining around his hands, then down at Cassian

And covered Cassian’s body with her own

Cassian went still--then his hand slid over her back

Together They’d go together

I will offer you a bargain, I said to the Cauldron I will offer yousaid, "but ill-advised"

Nesta did notraised his hand, pohirling like a dark galaxy in his palm

I knew they’d both die the ed the Cauldron Anything--

The king’s hand began to drop

And then halted A choking noise caht the Cauldron had answered ’s throat, spraying blood, I realized someone else had