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Until it canorant, or a coward, and you have conducted yourself as a clever and resourceful woman Since ere parted, you have made me and your father very proud of you"

I lifted my head and searched for a Harry-like presence, but no spirit appeared "Mues betorlds as my father does," my mother said "I am quite content here Or I was, until this moment"

It had to be uilt "But you’re dead"

"There is the death of the body, which comes to every person in the mortal world," my mother said primly "It cannot be stopped or avoided; it must be accepted as inevitable But that which animates us, that which is the essence of us; that never truly dies" A coed all over "This is not your time to leave this world, my dear Or his"

"But he’s dead, too" I should know, I’d o on without hied at h the darkness "You hts When you wake, you will knohat is to be done"

I felt the war "Don’t leave me, Mum"

InWhen it’s your ti for you

As my eyes cleared so did the darkness, and I foundacross my desk at Lady Diana Walsh

Chapter Thirteen

"Are you unwell, Miss Kittredge?" Lady Diana asked, taking a lacy handkerchief fro it to the dark circles under her pretty eyes "Is that why you refuse to helpsensation in my stomach had vanished So had alllanced down at the little calendar I kept on ht past The day I’d met Lady Diana Walsh for the first ti about it It took a moment before I remembered what it was

You’ve turned time on its head

"The attacks on your person are not the result of a spell, nor are the words cut into your flesh actual wounds," I told Lady Diana "You are the victiic"

"How could you--?" She stopped and rose to her feet "I should have known better than to coe"

"Proof Of course, you’ll want that before you believe me" I took a flask from my draent round the desk, seized one of her wrists, and pulled off the glove "Here, hold still" As I poured the brandy over her hand she uttered a shrill sound that I ignored as I picked at the edge of the letter S in SLUT, lifting the dried wound paste just enough to peel it off "You see? Just as I said The brandy acts as a solvent, but don’t yank at it too hard, or it will still tear your skin"

Lady Walsh stopped protesting and stared "How in the world?" She went to work and in a few seconds had carefully peeled all the paste off her unmarked flesh Her wide eyes shifted to my face "You kne this was done toent appoint cloak "Perhaps we could meet later, at your home?"

"You are not invited to s and then walk out" Her voice grew shrill "I must knoho did this to me"

"In a few hours, you will Or we’ll all be dead I’rabbed my keylace from the wall hook "Oh, and you should know that the only reason your husband et another heir Your stepson is diseased and barren Good day,that my assumptions aboutthat out et about Fourth, who intercepted

"Goodto squeeze past hi your pardon, but I’ of a hurry"

The clerk bent froe, I’d hoped to--"