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The small group moved cautiously through the palace grounds. Ross noticed that Nali, Orion, and Drago had formed a semi-circle around Ashure while he and Gem took up the rear. For once the pirate didn’t object. If anything, this was the first time since he’d met Ashure that the pirate appeared to be completely serious and somewhat wary.
He also didn’t miss the tentative glances and the worried look haunting the depths of Gem’s eyes whenever she looked at him. He looked down at his sword. Deep down he was still trying to process what he’d seen. Over the last few days, he had begun to think that he might actually be able to hold his own in this crazy magical world.
It wasn’t so much seeing what Gem could do, he already knew she was amazing – it was seeing the others’ reactions to her.
