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.“I release you, Nicholas.It was never you.I see thatnow,” he added with marked ambiguousness.Nicholas had gotten to his feet, and was now kneeling beside Brannon.He didn’t acknowledge Koss’swords with so much of a flicker of his eyelashes, concentrating instead on Emily.She met his eyes andsmiled before turning back to Koss.Still feeling Nicholas’s gaze on her, she drew strength from it.“I’llrelease you now.You’re bound by your pledge.”“Can you trust me, sweet Emily? I may have no honor.” He still sounded weak, but not as drained as hehad a moment ago.She nodded.“I know that, but I remember you forcing Nicholas to bind himself to you with hisdeclaration.I assume your word is your bond.” Hesitantly, she withdrew the sword, but didn’t drop it.Instead, she kept it pointed at them as Koss lost his strength and leaned against Nina.“Get out.”“We will meet again,” Koss said, seeming to muster his strength.“Different circumstances…” He trailedoff, eyeing her with a strange glint in his eye.“Take care of your daughter.She will be precious to me.”“What?” Emily took a step forward, but Nicholas’s hands on her shoulders restrained her as he drew heragainst his chest.“You swore—”Koss walked with Nina to the window, pausing once to look back.Already, he appeared to haveregained most of his strength.“I will honor my promise.Nicholas has been released from his vow.” Thenhe turned away, and they stepped through the window, hovering in midair for a moment before beginningto float down with the speed of a feather.Brannon was on his feet and stumbled to the window to watch them leave.He seemed to have troublemoving, but had survived the slash of Nina’s sword.Emily turned and buried her face against Nicholas’s chest, sobbing.Now that she didn’t have to bestrong, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms and have him hold her for a hundred years.When Brannon limped over to them, Emily turned from Nicholas to embrace him too.After she wept intohis bloody pajama shirt for a moment, she lifted her head.“How can you live through that?”“I’m a dhampir, Emily.Part of my strength comes from the foul blood in my veins.” His eyes softened.“You were amazing.So strong and confident.”“Foolish,” Nicholas said in a growl.“He could have killed you.I told you—”“Hush, darling,” Emily interrupted, turning back to him to put her arm around his waist.She touched thecuts on his back, finding most already scabbed over or healed completely.She glanced up at him.“Didhe mean it? Are you free?”Nicholas hesitated before nodding.“I think so.I’ve never known Koss to break his word.He places ahigh value on honor, which was part of the reason he’s nurtured his anger with me for eight hundredyears.I seduced him and left him when he didn’t expect it.I broke my word, and he’s felt the need topunish me ever since.” He frowned.“I don’t know what’s changed.”“He said something about it all coming together…” Fear surged through.“And what was that about ourdaughter? What did he mean?”Nicholas appeared equally puzzled.“I don’t know.”Brannon sighed.“I keep forgetting how inexperienced you are, Emily.How attuned you still need tobecome to your powers.I’m surprised you haven’t realized it yourself yet.”She turned to frown at him.“Realized what?”“Can’t you feel the new life forming in you?” He gave her a smile.“You’re expecting a little girl.”* * * * *Emily eyed Brannon with sad eyes several weeks later.“Are you sure you feel strong enough?”He nodded.“Yeah, I’m healing well.It’s hardly more than a scratch now, and I have business to takecare of.” He gave her a crooked smile.“After all, you’ll want to visit your folks soon.After they yell atyou for eloping, they’ll be thrilled by the news of the baby.”She couldn’t hide the sadness from her expression.“They’ll have the sad duty of telling me about Sara,thinking I didn’t hear about it before running away.”He nodded.“It’s the best I can do to fix things for you.”She nodded.“I know.” Emily turned to Nicholas, clutching a handful of his shirt.“Can’t you make himstay awhile longer? We can visit my parents later in the summer.”He shook his head.“Brannon needs to go, love.After he deals with the situation in Huxley, he has to findthe answers he seeks.”She bit her lip.“But if Koss hurts him—”“Right here, remember?” Brannon teased.His tone grew more serious when she turned back to him.“I’llstay in touch, and I’ll be home in time for her birth.” He patted her still-flat stomach.“She has to meet theonly normal family she has on the Vallsade side.”She wasn’t able to muster even a wan smile for his comment, but tried to keep the concern from her eyesas she hugged him.“Come back safely to us.Our daughter needs a protector [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]