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The warlord held th "The last time you saw me, you called me a monster"

"I didn’t understand, Lucien That awful inspector person had me terribly confused" I s you is such a relief"

He didn’t look convinced "So happy you tried to put a blade into do that, and I don’t knohy I did I’ve been in such a muddle--or at least I was, until I found this" I ducked h my pocket until I produced the blue stone Dredmore had used to bespellit made me want to weep, and to add to the effect I let the tears well up intobecaain"

His eyebrows rose "The stone ainst him "It made me re for you Anything at all It’s just as you’ve always said I belong to you I love you" I ranthe front seams of his jacket "Please, let lowed red, and he latched on to my wrist "Yes I would enjoy a show"

"My lord," Celestino said, "this is a charade The only reason this female came here is to harm you"

"Perhaps she did It matters not" Dredmore lifted my chin to study my face "Did the old one not tell you, woman? Your power cannot drive me out I am tethered by the spirit stone"

The daotten about it "I don’t understand your ic, Lucien I never have, and don’t need to I only want to be with you"

BehindI could do, and I wasn’t even sure it would work But it was that or have relations with this thing, and I’d stab ly or otherwise

Dredo master’s office, where he closed the door in Celestino’s face "Take off those rags Fro but your skin"

Chapter Nine

"Nothing would make ain have to launder anything but our bed linens Unless you hire a laundress for us That would give me more ti ave me time to tear open the packet I had tucked in the back band of ers over it as I shrugged out oftoo long" His gaze dropped "Undress faster"

"The buttons are so s me all thumbs Could you help with the rest?" I presented my back to him "Pretty, pretty please?"

I felt hirabbed a fistful of ainst hiainst ain, until you swell like a ripe, fat date"

Cloaked as he was in Dredmore’s body, I should have felt some sly fond of Lucien’s touch Yet even the brush of this imposter’s breath on my skin nauseatedthat Zarath’s ego would have hiht or some other such nonsense

"I can hardly wait to see ish" Of course if I turned and voin to doubt the veracity offor you, too"

He jerkedfrom you but silent obedience, woman"

Emphasis on silent, naturally "Of course you don’t But this is so that you wanted from me that should keep me quiet for a time You remember, you wanted me to" I let htly over the front of his trousers and artfully puckered my lips "Now close your eyes, my love" When he didn’t, I pouted "Lucien, please I can’t do it if you’re staring at el"

He smirked a little before his eyelids dropped

I heldthe powder inmy nose and mouth I scurried backward until hed and choked, swatting at the cloud about his head "What is the ot topowder from that awful inspector" I watched hi nap"

He fell to his knees, and tears rolled down his cheeks fro eyes