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I Marked The CEO Mine 25
Then she realized what Chi had meant by going three-D. She had literally stepped into Lyss body. Lawrence glanced around her, terrified. To her horror, all the other girls in line were motionless. In fact, everyone Lawrence looked at was frozen stiff. It was if the entire party had been put on Pause. See? Chis voice Noah e hotly in her ear. No words for this, right? Whats happening, Chi? Her voice was rising. Right now, not a whole lot. I had to put the brakes on the party, lest you freak out. Once were straight on the three-D business, Ill start it back up again. So . . . no one can see this right now? Lawrence asked, waving her hand slowly in front of the face of the pretty brunette girl whod been standing in front of Lys. The girl didnt flinch. She didnt blink. Her face was frozen in an unending openmouthed grin. Nope. Chi demonstrated by wiggling his tongue near the ear of an older man, who stood frozen with an escargot poised between his fingers, inches from hi
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Should I bed down with your father, then? the king sneered. Knowing Your Majesty likes guns, Lawrence said, straining to keep her tone polite, I have brought you a gift--my fathers most prized hunting rifle. Hed asked me to bring it to you this evening, but I wasnt sure when Id have the pleasure of making your acquaintance. She had the kings full attention. He was perched on the edge of his throne. Whats it look like? Are there jewels in its butt? The . . . the stock is hand-carved from cherry-wood, she said, feeding the king the details Chi called out from where he stood beside the kings chair. The bore was milled by--by-- Oh, what would sound impressive? By a Russian metalworker who has since gone to work for the czar. Chi leaned over the kings pastries and sniffed hungrily. These look good. Lawrence repeated Chis line and then added, I could bring it to Your Majesty, if youd just allow me to go and retrieve it from my chambers-- A servant can bring the gun down tomo
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Like? Like she was happy when she died. I was happy. Ecstatic. The whole thing was just so beautiful. Her mind raced. Knowing hed be there for me on the other side, knowing that all I was doing was escaping something wrong and oppressive. That the beauty of our love endures death, endures everything. It was incredible. Incredibly dangerous, Chi said shortly. Lets not do that again, okay? Dont you get it? Ever since I left Noah in the present, this is the best thing thats happened to me. And-- But Chi had disappeared into the darkness again. She heard the trickle of the waterfall. A moment later, the sound of water boiling. When Chi reappeared, hed made tea. He carried the pot on a thin metal tray and handed Lawrence a steaming mug. Where did you get that? she asked. I said, lets not do that again, okay? But Lawrence was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to really hear him. This was the closest shed come to any kind of clarity. She would go 3-D--what had he called i
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Ted happened here, Lawrence said, taking a moment to let it all sink in. The Tempest. Romeo and Juliet. Were practically standing in the center of all the greatest love stories ever written. Actually, youre standing in walnut shells. Why do you have to be so glib about everything? This is amazing! Sorry, I didnt realize wed need a moment of bardolatry. His words Noah e out lisped because of the needle clipped between his jagged teeth. Now stand still. Ouch! Lawrence yelped as he jabbed sharply into her kneecap. What are you doing? Un-Anachronizing you. These folksll pay good money for a freak show, but theyre expecting it to stay onstage. Chi worked quickly, discreetly tucking the long, draped fabric of her black gown from Versailles into a series of folds and crimps so that it was gathered along the sides. He knocked away her black wig and pulled her hair into a frizzy pouf. Then he eyed the velvet capelet around her shoulders. He whipped off the soft fabric. At last, he
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Her kiss was the only way she could show him that she understood. But Noah wouldnt kiss her the way she wanted. The closer she pressed to him, the farther back he leaned. Finally he pushed her away completely. He held on only to her hands, as if the rest of her were dangerous. Lady. He kissed the very tips of her fingers, making her shiver. Would I be too bold to say your love makes you unmannerly? Unmannerly? Lawrence blushed. Noah took her back into his arms, slowly, a bit nervously. Good Lucinda, you must not find yourself in this place dressed as you are. His eyes kept returning to her dress. What clothes are these? Where is your costume? He reached into a wardrobe and flicked through the clothes pegs. Quickly, Noah began to unlace his boots, tossing them on the floor with two thuds. Lawrence tried not to gape when he dropped his trousers. He wore short gray pantaloons underneath that left very little to the imagination. Her cheeks burned as Noah briskly unbutton
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Chi? she whispered. I need you to do that thing where you press Pause so I can-- "Shhhh!" Chis hiss had a finality that said Lawrence was on her own. She would just have to wait until this man left so she could get Clementine Hunter alone. Unexpectedly, Clementine Hunter moved toward the wardrobe where Lawrence was hiding. Clementine Hunter reached inside. Her hand moved toward the golden cloak right next to Lawrence s shoulder. Lawrence held her breath, reached up, clasped her fingers with Lucindas. Clementine Hunter gasped and threw the door wide, staring deep into Lawrence s eyes, teetering on the edge of some inexplicable understanding. The floor beneath them seemed to tilt. Lawrence grew dizzy, closing her eyes and feeling as if her soul had dropped out of her body. She saw herself from the outside: her strange dress that Chi had altered on the fly, the raw fear in her eyes. The hand in hers was soft, so soft she could barely feel it. She blinked and Clementine Hunt
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Daniels eyes flashed with pain. No, he whispered. Please dont go yet. Somehow, it always took both of them by surprise. As her past selfs body erupted into flames, there was a sound of cannon fire, but Lawrence couldnt be sure. Her eyes went blurry with brightness and she was cast far up and out of Lucindas body, into the air, into darkness. No! she cried as the walls of the Announcer closed around her. Too late. Whats the problem now? Chi asked. I wasnt ready. I know Clementine Hunter had to die, but I--I was just-- Shed been on the brink of understanding something about the choice shed made to love Daniel. And now everything about those last moments with Noah had gone up in flames along with her past self. Well, theres not much more to see, Chi said. Just the usual routine of a building catching fire-- smoke, walls of flame, people screaming and stampeding toward the exits, trampling the less fortunate underfoot--you get the picture. The Globe burned to the ground. "
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This was the night hed almost given up. Now his shoulders burned. The sudden urge to let his wings out almost brought him to his knees. His insides roiled with shame-filled horror. It was rising in him, the temptation hed fought so long to repress. In the circle around the fire, Daniels past self looked at Noah . Youre unusually quiet tonight. Noah didnt answer right away. What would you have me say? You faced this problem once. You know-- "And what would you have me say?" Noah sucked in his breath. Something charming and persuasive. Annabelle snorted. Or something underhanded and absolutely evil. Everyone waited. Noah wanted to burst forth from behind the rock, to rip his past self away from here. But he couldnt. His Announcer had brought him here for a reason. He had to go through the whole thing again. Youre trapped, Noah said at last. You think because there was once a beginning, and because youre somewhere in the middle now, that there is going to be an end. B
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