“V’lane?” came Barrons’ voice from behind me. I shook my head, wondering what “I prized most” was, afraid to contemplate it. I felt the electricity of his body behind me as he reached around me and took the card from my hand. He didn’t move away, and I battled the urge to lean back into him, seeking the comfort of his strength. Would he wrap his arms around me? Make me feel safe, if only for a moment, and if only a delusion? “Ah, the old ‘what you prize most’ threat,” he murmured. I turned around slowly, and looked up at him. He stiffened and sucked in a shallow breath. After a moment, he
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