to cycle up, listening for any movement that would
indicate his plan of attack.
“If you come out now, I promise… I’ll go easy on
you.” I called, attempting to keep the sarcasm out of my
voice.
“Oh, that’s funny! From what I’ve heard, you went
easy on Kurada as well and I do believe he’s dead, is he
not?” His voice mocked me. “I do not wish to fight, for I
do not wish to kill you,” he paused dramatically, “Out of
my respect for Lazarius.”
My eyes flew wide at the mention of that name.
Nothing. Neither the abilities I had inherited, nor the
decades of training, could have stilled the shock which
rushed through me at those words. Someone knew about
my connection to Him? How?! How in the hell had he
discovered this secret? Who else might he have told?
“I’ll take your silence for shocked surprise. You
thought no one knew of your past?” He laughed. “How
truly simple-minded you are, my dear!”
An impulsive thought struck me; at once absurd
but clearly the truth. It was too intense an idea to be
wrong. It was instinct feeding me this information and my
instincts were never wrong.
“Simple-minded am I? Perhaps I shall ask that of
Lazarius when I see him - since he has finally decided to
come out of hiding - and kill him when I do.”
The slightest sound from behind the wall directly
in front of me told me my intuitions were dead on. I had
him cornered like a fox hunted by hounds. Changing my
mind in an instant, I returned the dagger to its sheath to
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