Death Bringer

Chapter Seventeen

They materialized in her office. Ella blinked up at Vadim, who had already resumed his human form. She touched his starched white shirt.

“I actually miss the feathers. How weird is that?”

He stretched and rolled his shoulders. “It feels strange to be back in this form. I miss my wings.”

“What about your immense powers?”

He smiled. “Oh, I still have those.”

“Not all of them, right?”

“Why, are you worried? I don’t intend to use them unless I’m provoked.”

“Seeing as I’m the person who provokes you the most, that isn’t very reassuring.”

She went around the desk to turn on her laptop. “Time is weird in Otherworld. How long have we been away? Five days?” She looked back at him. “Does that feel about right? It seems like a long time to me.”

“I have no idea.”

“And it’s about two in the afternoon, so we missed lunch. Dang it.”

“I’m sure you’ll survive. Let’s see the boss first, and then you can eat.”

She headed toward Feehan’s office, Vadim at her side. It was strange not having him towering over her. It was also strange the way he’d resumed his chilly personality so fast. The door was open, so she gave a perfunctory knock and kept on going.

“Hey, Mr. Feehan.”

“Come in—Ella! Vadim! Good Lord! How good to see you! Sit down!” Feehan jumped out of his chair as he waved them into the uncomfortable seats in front of his desk.

“I must confess, I didn’t think you were going to make it out alive.”

“Neither did we,” Ella said. “But here we are, like two bad pennies.”

He resumed his seat and beamed at them. “I’m delighted to hear that.” His expression faltered. “Unless...well, I suppose, of course, you’ll both be wanting to resign, being as you’re Fae royalty.”

“Not really.” Ella didn’t dare look at Vadim in case she cracked up. “Unless you want us to resign?”

Feehan glanced covertly at Vadim and then away. “Not at all!”

“It’s all right, you know. He won’t hurt you.”

“I never thought he would. Although—” Feehan studied Vadim more closely, “—I never realized what you concealed beneath that perfect human exterior. You were quite impressive. What exactly do you shape-shift into?”

“I can shift into virtually anything. The being you saw in Otherworld is actually my true form.”

“True form.” Feehan swallowed and straightened his tie. “Okay. Well, that’s a new one on me.”

“I don’t expect to revert to it in this world, unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“Good to know, because that would cause a major panic.”

“By the way, we solved the case,” Ella said brightly.

“I did wonder about that, since you have your face back.” He stood up. “Shall we gather the rest of the team in the conference room?”

They followed him out into the bigger room across the hall and waited as Rich and Andrew filed in and high-fived Ella. Liz was next.

“Oh, you’re back! We thought you were dead!”

She hugged Vadim and then Ella, who grimaced at her partner. “I love the confidence everyone has in our abilities, don’t you? Of course we’re back!”

“My Fae-Web said differently.” Liz took a chair right next to Ella. “In fact, there were a couple of times when one or other of you was almost dead.” She shivered. “I hate that.”

“It was close at some points, but we made it.”

Feehan stood at the door, gesticulating to someone. “Come on, Sam! We haven’t got all day!”

Sam appeared, carrying a greasy paper bag that smelled suspiciously like fast food.

“Dudes!”

“Do you have fries in there?” Ella reached over and poked the bag. “Can I have some? You can’t get a decent meal in Otherworld to save your life.”

Sam tossed her the bag. “You can have them all. It’s so cool that you’re okay!” He turned to Vadim. “And I hear that you’re, like, some awesome winged black devil, man. Sweet!”

Between mouthfuls of fries, Ella managed to mutter, “Trust me, he’s more chicken than devil.”

Feehan shut the door and sat down, his expectant gaze turned toward her.

“So tell us what’s been happening.”

Vadim opened his mouth, but Ella hastily swallowed down her fries and started talking.

“We killed Adam and I got my face back. That’s it, really.”

“I’m sure there’s more to it than that, Ella.” Feehan said encouragingly. “Can you elaborate?”

“Adam was the leader of an ancient Fae sect that liked to collect things. One of the things he wanted was three humans with blond hair, so that he could steal their faces.”

“Which is why he targeted Brad, Ms. Phelps and you.”

“Exactly.” Ella nodded. “Morosov went ahead of me to Otherworld to liaise with his family members about Adam’s whereabouts. With our combined information, we tracked Adam down to a palace where the sect had its headquarters.”

“So how did Vadim end up on trial?”

Her partner sat forward. “Well—”

Ella cut across him again. “It was Adam’s doing. He convinced the Fae council that Morosov was responsible for a murder.”

Sam chuckled. “Like Vad would hurt a fly.”

“That’s when Mr. Feehan and I were called as character witnesses.” Liz frowned. “How the hell did you get out of that? With Spencer moderating, I thought you were both goners.”

“Morosov managed to convince the jury to commute the murder charges into combat to the death. Adam agreed.”

“You’re making all this up and leaving a hell of a lot out. Why?”

Ella ignored Vadim’s sharp question. “He was totally nuts. I think he really wanted to kill Morosov with his bare hands for messing up his trophy hunt. He also blamed me for coming after him. I wasn’t supposed to do that, and I’d spoiled his fun.”

“So what happened then?” Feehan asked.

Ella tried to look convincing. Even if Vadim wasn’t buying it, everyone else was.

“We were taken to the sect’s stronghold, and the four leaders, including Adam, went after Morosov in a weird game of deadly hide-and-seek.”

“Four against one?” Sam shook his head. “That’s, like, so not cool, man.”

Ella smiled at everyone. “You’d be surprised. Morosov easily destroyed the first three, and when Adam tried to use me to get away, I helped kill him.” She sat back. “As soon as Adam died, my face changed back to normal.”

“Wow.” Sam whistled.

Liz stared at Vadim. “You’re Death Bringer.”

He inclined his head a wary inch. “What about it?”

“The most powerful being in Otherworld.”

“I was.”

“Why would you give that up?

“Because I no longer wished to be anyone’s trained assassin. I will kill if I have to, but never again at another’s bidding.” His mouth curled in disgust. “A weapon in the wrong hands is always dangerous.”

“But you could destroy the human world.”

“If I wanted to, I suppose I could.” He glanced over at Ella. “But while my mate lives in this realm, I promise you will all be safe.”

Ella cleared her throat. “Does anyone have any more questions?” Everyone looked at her. “About the case, I mean. I don’t think we’ll be able to get Brad’s and Ms. Phelps’s faces back, seeing as they’re dead, but we can certainly try... What?”

“Don’t you realize that you hold the fate of humankind in your hand, Ella?” Liz grinned. “You’d better stop pissing Vadim off immediately.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” She managed a fake sigh. “Perhaps he’ll have to learn to be nicer to me first.”

“Very funny, Ms. Walsh.” Vadim wasn’t smiling. “Mr. Feehan, is the nurse Delia still at the hospital, or has she recovered?”

“She’s still there. We have her under SBLE guard. There’s been no change in her condition.”

Vadim rose smoothly to his feet. “Then I think that if everyone is satisfied with Ms. Walsh’s version of events, we can consider this case closed. Despite these latest revelations about my reputation, I assume you still wish to employ me, Mr. Feehan?”

“Sure I do.” Feehan smiled up at Vadim. “I consider you an asset to our team.”

“Then I’ll be off to the hospital to see what I can do for Delia. I’ll see you all later.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Ella asked.

He turned to look at her. “No, thanks.”

With a cool smile, he left, and she slumped down into her chair. So, he was annoyed with her. What was new? Didn’t he understand that she’d just been trying to protect his ass?

“He’s not very happy with you, is he?” Liz murmured.

“Men.”

“What did you do?”

“Killed someone he wanted to dispose of himself.”

“Adam?” Liz lowered her voice even more. “By the way, you left out a load of stuff from your story.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m a Fae-Web specialist, dork. I see the truth, I can’t avoid it.” She hesitated. “He really is incredibly dangerous, Ella. Don’t you think you should’ve left him in Otherworld, where he belongs?”

“To be ordered to kill on command like a hunting dog? He hated that existence, Liz. It destroyed his soul.”

“Then who will keep order in Otherworld, now?”

“I don’t care, as long as it isn’t Morosov. He deserves a break.”

Liz started laughing. “Trust you to end up with Death Bringer.”

“I know, it’s sort of like mutually assured destruction, isn’t it? I’m the person who makes him the maddest in the whole world, and he can’t kill me because I’m his mate.” She patted her heart. “It was obviously meant to be.”

“Don’t even joke about that, honey. The Fae live forever, remember, and often plan for things hundreds of years in advance. They’ve probably been waiting for you to turn up to neutralize Death Bringer for centuries.”

“I suppose so.” Uneasily aware of the Fae queens and their meddling, she got to her feet. “And now I need to go and type out that report.”

Liz winked at her. “Before you forget what you said.”

“Something like that.” She hesitated. “Are you free for a quick drink after work? I think I need some alcohol before I have to face Morosov again.”

Vadim got a taxi to the hospital, which gave him plenty of time to brood about the incredible story Ella had cooked up for their team. What was worse, apart from Liz, everyone seemed to have lapped it up and not questioned a thing. He still wasn’t sure why she’d gone to so much trouble to truncate the truth. Did she not want his coworkers to know how dangerous he was? Or was it simply a matter of getting away with the shortest report in SBLE history? He shifted on the patched leather seat. Being in his human body still felt strange and constricting. The sense of not being himself surprised him. Was it possible that Ella was right and he should’ve stayed in Otherworld?

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the arrival of the taxi at the hospital. He paid off the driver and headed to the administrator’s office on the fifteenth floor. At the staff desk, he recognized Jose and headed straight for him.

“Hey, Morosov, isn’t it? How’s my favorite girl?”

“She’s fine. Unfortunately she had to type up a report at the office, so she couldn’t accompany me.”

“Damn. What can I do for you, man?”

“I wanted to see Delia. Is she still on this floor?”

“She is. Let me show you to her room. She’s stable, but that’s not saying much. We’re just hoping her body will come out of this by itself at some point.”

Vadim followed Jose down the hallway right to the end, where a tall SBLE security guard sat outside the door on duty.

“Thanks, Jose.”

“You’re welcome. Let me know if you need anything,”

Vadim exchanged pleasantries and credentials with the guard and was allowed into Delia’s room. Apart from the regular drip, drip of something going into her arm, the tick of machines and her faint breathing, the room was quiet. He sat on the side of her bed, took her limp hand in his and studied her face. She opened her eyes and looked right through him.

He could still sense Adam’s magic clinging to her and set about cleansing it. Having Ella’s empath abilities made the task much quicker and easier than he had anticipated. He gladly took the dark magic into himself. One of the benefits of having been blessed and cursed by both Fae courts was that almost no magic could harm or hold him for long.

As he worked, Delia’s color returned and she began to breathe more deeply and evenly. Her eyes closed in a more natural sleep, and Vadim sat back. Within a few minutes she became restless, her head turning on the pillow. The monitors around her bed started to flash and bleep with activity.

She opened her eyes, and he got to experience how a prince in a fairy tale must feel as she stared at him. But she didn’t smile. She just looked terribly confused.

“Is this a dream?”

“Not anymore.” He let go of her hand, then stood. “You’ll be fine now, I swear it.”

He could hear the sounds of activity approaching down the hallway and stepped swiftly out of the room. The security guard was on his feet, his weapon already out.

“Sir?”

“It’s fine. She’s waking up.” He nodded at the approaching cavalry. “They’ll make sure she’s going to be okay.”

To avoid any embarrassing questions about exactly what he’d been doing, he chose to leave in the opposite direction and walked unhurriedly to the stairs. The elevator doors opened, reminding him of Ella and how he’d gotten her over her claustrophobia with the magical power of mated sex. He got on and descended to the main entrance. It was raining a little, and after a quick look around to see if anyone was watching, he magicked himself a raincoat over his favorite Armani suit.

When it rained, the city wilted as if it needed sunshine to thrive, like a struggling plant. Out toward the sea, the sky was the same gray, making everything blur into a miserable mess. He turned up his collar and decided to walk back to Market. It would take a while, but he needed time to think, and he wasn’t anxious to see Ella until he had time to put his thoughts in order.

A flash of diamonds brought his attention sharply to an alleyway on his right, and he stopped walking.

“Mother?”

She smiled at him from within the gloom of the dirty passageway.

“There’s something I wanted to ask you.”

“Which couldn’t wait?”

She bit her lip. “I couldn’t speak of it in front of your father.” She hesitated. “If you want to return to Otherworld for good, I think I may have the answer.”

Ella sipped her chocolate martini and stared at her newly restored reflection in the mirrored bar of the hotel. It was definitely cool to be blond again, although she missed her aristocratic nose. The whole team, except Feehan, who had rushed off to take his wife shopping, had decided to come and have a drink, celebrating her safe return. They’d also told her that since Vadim was immortal and she was his mate, he was probably loaded and that the drinks were on her. She only hoped her bank account could stand it.

“Come on Ella, cheer up.” Liz clinked her glass against hers. “You’re twenty-seven, you’re mated to the hottest guy in the universe and you still have your crummy job!”

“Lucky me.”

“Hey, birthday girl!”

Rich interrupted to kiss her a sloppy goodbye, then weaved his way unsteadily from the bar toward the street. Sam and Andrew had already gone to get tacos. She wondered where Vadim was. Had he left the hospital? She’d left a message for him on her desk to say where they were, but he’d be able to find her anyway.

“Ella, what’s up?”

She put her glass down carefully on the bar. The possibility of anyone overhearing her in the roar of conversation was slight, but she still leaned in close to Liz.

“If you were Morosov and had all that power, wouldn’t you want to stay in Otherworld?”

“I thought you said he didn’t want the power.”

“He says he doesn’t, but I’m not sure if I believe him.”

Liz finished her drink and ordered two more. “Do you want me to be honest or supportive?”

“There’s a choice?”

“Everything I’ve seen in the Fae-Web about Vadim tells me that his number-one priority is you.”

“Jeez, don’t say that.”

Liz stuck her finger in Ella’s face. “Which means that you are the problem.”

“Gawd.” She made a face.

“Why can’t you believe that he wants you and wants to be with you? Dammit, the male is a hero. He killed for you.”

“Because...”

“Listen to me, when I first met Doug, I really didn’t see myself settling down with a hairy shape-shifter.” She smoothed down her immaculate white skirt. “It just so wasn’t...me, you know. But the more I got to know him, the more I realized I couldn’t live without him, and when we first had sex—shut up, Ella—we bonded, and I knew I’d never be the same without him. The question you need to ask yourself is whether you’d be happy if Vadim wasn’t around anymore.”

“I can’t think about that.”

“Because it scares you too much, right?” Liz picked up her glass again. “The thing is, you two have done this thing half-assed and backward. You’re bonded, so you need the sex, but you haven’t had time to get to know each other yet. How could you, when you’ve been expecting to go nuts this week?”

Ella scraped a piece of chocolate off the side of her glass with her fingernail. “That’s what he said.”

“And he’s right. Why don’t you give him a chance?”

She’d told him that too, because she was scared. “I suppose you’re right.”

“I usually am. Look how many scummy boyfriends I’ve steered you away from over the years.” Liz’s cell phone rang and she checked the screen. “It’s Doug. He’s on his way to pick me up. Do you need a ride to the ferry?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’m supposed to be meeting Morosov here. I’ll walk with you to the door, though.”

She hadn’t heard a thing from Vadim since they returned to the city. The silence was starting to unnerve her. What would it be like if he wasn’t with her at all? It wasn’t just that she’d miss the sex. She’d miss him. How had she come to depend on him so fast? It was totally against everything she believed in. But what was worse—not allowing him to be with her or being with him and wondering when he’d leave?

Outside the rain has stopped and the unpleasant stench of trash bins and wet tarmac drying in the sun surrounded her.

“There’s Doug!” Liz waved enthusiastically at a blue minivan.

“Nice wheels.”

“Shut up.” Liz grinned at her. “He’s coaching a shape-shifter soccer team, so we have to go and pick some of the kids up.”

“God help your opponents. If a decision goes against one of your team, does someone get eaten?”

“That’s why we need to practice.” Liz kissed Ella’s cheek. “I’m really glad you survived, hon. See you tomorrow.”

Ella was busy making faces at Doug over her friend’s shoulder. “Thanks for everything.”

She waited until Liz was safely in the van and then retreated into the hotel lobby. She saw a shape-shifter litter in her buddy’s immediate future. Where now? Should she send Vadim a text?

“Ella.”

“Hey.” That was cool and calm enough, wasn’t it?

“Can you meet me in Golden Gate Park by the Japanese Tea Garden?”

“When?”

“I’m already here, so whenever you’re ready.”

She deliberated ordering a cup of coffee from the bar to clear her head, but the alcohol in her system might help her relax more and say what needed to be said. She went to the bathroom, and after checking everyone else had gone, she closed her eyes and sent herself to where Vadim was.

It didn’t take a second until she was sitting on a bench looking out over the beautiful gardens. Here the rain had stirred the scents of nature rather than the city, and a heavy, flowery perfume hung in the air.

“Ella.”

She looked up to see Vadim in front of her. His black hair was damp from the rain and slicked back away from his amazing face. He’d somehow acquired a raincoat to protect his designer suit.

Of course he had.

“You really are quite beautiful in both your forms, Morosov.”

“Thank you.” He indicated the bench. “May I sit with you?”

“Sure.” She patted the seat. “It’s a bit damp, but nothing that’ll kill you. Not that anything can kill you anyway.”

“Only you.”

“I knew I should’ve kept that dagger your father gave me.”

She kept talking like a flipping idiot. Why was she so nervous? Why couldn’t she stop being so glib and just shut up?

He looked down at his clasped hands. “There’s something I wished to discuss with you.”

“Then go ahead. How’s Delia by the way?”

“She’ll be fine. I managed to detach the remnants of the spell from her mind.”

“Cool.”

She waited as he took another deep breath and then realized she could hardly breathe at all.

“My mother came to see me.”

“When?”

“Just after I left the hospital. She said that if I wished to return to Otherworld, I would be offered the leadership of the sect.”

“Oh.” She forced a smile. “That’s...great.”

“You think I should take it?”

“Well you’re the perfect man for it, aren’t you? With your power, you could keep that bunch of idiots in order and provide a counterbalance to your father’s evil schemes.”

“That’s what my mother said.”

“I told you she was smart.”

Silence fell between them, broken only by the odd drip of rain from the trees.

“If I took the job, would you come with me?”

She swallowed hard. “And live there full-time?”

“As my mate, you would be treated with great respect and bear the title of princess.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Indignation thrust through her hurt and made sitting still impossible. She shot to her feet. “And what about our jobs here?”

“Feehan would understand if we left.”

“And what would I do in Otherworld, apart from traipse around, being a princess?”

He looked up at her. “Most females would think that being mated to the most powerful male in Otherworld and being treated like royalty were gifts in themselves.”

“But then most females don’t realize what a dork you are, do they?”

He blinked at her. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? I spent my whole day writing a lovely fictitious report to keep you and your family out of trouble with the SBLE, and this is the thanks I get.”

“What does the report have to do with anything?”

She glared at him, her hands on her hips. “I made a deal with your grandmother!”

“You did what?” He rose too, his expression darkening.

“Your grandmother asked me to keep your family out of our report, and in return I—I made her promise something. Not that a promise means anything in Otherworld, apparently. What was your mother thinking? Doesn’t anyone talk to each other over there?”

She was babbling again...

“What did she promise you?” He was close enough now that she had to look up at him. He put his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me.”

“That she wouldn’t ever ask you to return to Otherworld.”

“And why would you ask her for such a thing?”

Magic sparked from his skin and made all the hairs on her head stand upright. She raised her chin.

“Because I don’t want you to go back there. I want you to stay here with me.”

He didn’t react in any way or move an inch.

“Did you hear me? I don’t want you to go.”

His smile was slow but quite beautiful, like the sun emerging from behind a cloud.

“And why is that, Soul Sucker?”

She almost stamped her foot. “You’re going to make me say it?”

“Of course I am. I’ve killed for you and threatened to annihilate my whole world just to keep you safe. What are a few little words in return?”

“They’re a big deal to me!”

“I know.” He briefly rested his forehead against hers. “Would it help if I said them first?”

“No one’s ever said it to me and meant it.”

“I mean it. I love you, Ella. I always will.”

She swallowed hard. “Okay. Me too.”

He straightened up. “Ella...”

“All right! But you have to promise not to do what your mother wants, and go back to Otherworld.”

He placed his hand over his heart. “I promise.”

“You should go and tell her that right now!”

He smiled. “And let you out of my sight at this crucial moment?”

She faced him. “You’ve already told her no, haven’t you? This is all a setup.” She jabbed herself in the chest. “I’ve killed for you. I even sat and typed that stupid report to keep you safe! Isn’t that enough? Why do I have to say the stupid words?”

His smile faded. “Maybe because no one has ever said them to me and meant it either, Soul Sucker.”

“Oh, God.” She whispered, “Vadim, I—”

But he had already disappeared.

Dammit! What the hell was wrong with him? Where had that pathetic, needy statement sprung from? He knew she loved him, knew it in his soul. Why was he so determined to make her say it?

He picked up the nearest pillow and sent it spinning, smashed his fist against the wall. It wasn’t enough. He needed to get out. His glance slid over the rest of his destroyed hotel room and he quickly made things right again. There was no reason to burden the staff with extra work because of his petty tantrum.

God, he needed to be free.

In a second, he magicked himself north to the immense sequoia forests and changed form. Here at least he could fly undetected and act like the animal he was. He flew for a while and then perched at the top of one of the massive trees and watched the sun go down. The scent of pine and eucalyptus filled his lungs, and he breathed deep.

“Morosov, is that you up there?”

He squinted down and saw Ella’s upturned face at the bottom of the massive trunk. She’d never let him get away with disappearing on her. She’d even followed him to Otherworld to save him, without caring for her own safety. Without answering, he swooped down, picked her up and flew her up to the top of the tree.

She opened her mouth and he put his finger against her lips.

“Don’t say it.”

“I’m not going to say anything, I’m going to scream!” She gave a convulsive shudder. “I’m terrified of heights.”

“You are?”

She nodded, her fingers digging into his flesh.

“It’s all right. If you say it now, I won’t believe you. I was wrong to try and force the issue.”

She nipped his finger and he snatched it away.

“Listen, you big dope. I never thought about it from your side before. I only thought about my issues. You haven’t exactly had it easy in the parenting department either, have you?”

“No.”

“We’re both a bit gun-shy.”

“Yes.”

She kissed him softly on the mouth. “If you won’t let me say it, can I show you instead?”

“Be my guest.”

She looked down and instantly clutched hold of him even tighter. “Here?”

“I won’t let you fall. I’ll never let you fall.”

“I suppose I’ll have to trust you, then.”

“Yes, you will.”

She kissed him again, and unaccustomed warmth unfolded in his chest. She might not be a conventional female by the standards of her own world, but in his, she was a true warrior.

He respected that.

With a wave of his hand, he had her naked and straddling him, her hot, wet core pressed against his hard cock, her nipples tightening against his chest. He lifted her over him and let her slide down slowly over his willing flesh. When he was deep inside her, she started to move on him, and he planted his feet firmly against the tree trunk to hold them both steady.

He slid his hand into her blond hair and wrapped it around his fist until she tilted her head for his kiss. Such a beautiful female, and his for all eternity—if he played his cards right.

Her inner muscles squeezed his cock, and he lost his train of thought.

Her feelings flooded his mind, of her first meeting him at the SBLE offices and admiring his ass, of their being stuck in the elevator shaft and the shock of their unexpectedly erotic mating.

“Ella...”

More images. This time of her hurt and betrayal, and of her need. She’d never let him see such things before, never let him in so completely. She was giving him the gift of herself, reminding him that love comes in many different forms and showing him her most vulnerable self. He doubted anyone else even knew such an Ella existed.

“I’ll never leave you, I swear it on my blood.”

He wrapped his thoughts and love around her and held her there, in his mind, in his arms and in his heart.

“Vadim, concentrate. Can’t you tell I want to come?”

“Come, then.”

He buried his face in the curve between her neck and shoulder. She climaxed around his shaft, and he gave himself up to her until he couldn’t give anymore, then followed her into bliss.

After a long while, when it was completely dark and even he was starting to feel cold, she touched his cheek. “Can we just go home?”

“I’d like that.”

“So would I.” She glanced up at the sky. “Can you fly me there?”

“Like this?” He scooped her even closer and anchored his arm around her hips. He pushed off the branch and they were airborne.

She clutched at his shoulders. “Wait! My clothes!”

He kept flying. In a while she might remember that she could do magic and fix the problem herself. But he sure wasn’t going to mention it...

Revenge was sometimes rather unexpected and remarkably sweet.

* * * * *