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Yes, irave offended to escape to Rothkalina, Thronos still had h Rydstrom the Good was a dedo contact with his child
Thronos could be inside Melanthe Tonight The portal key could wait--until he’dbecause it was sound? Or because he wanted her so badly he’d co to have her?
TWENTY-FOUR
Lanthe cracked open her lids to find Thronos staring down at her, a curious expression on his face She couldn’t believe she’d passed out The rhyth with hih still thirsty and hungry, she felt rested
"A couple of hours"
"I’ "I can walk"
With clear reluctance, he set her on her feet, steadying her with his big hand covering her shoulder She glanced around They were in a dense forest, surrounded by trees so s They had to be moonrakers, a type often found on demon planes
Not only was the stone of this reale was onyx and silver Even the sh there was little sunlight--just a few rays stole through the canopy--enor the air
She inspected one blooe dark petals were shiny and open In the center was a silver pistil the size of a baseball bat Its pollen sparkled like white-gold dust
Other weeping--type plants swayed above the in the scattered spears of sun, like Thronos’s wing mosaics did As a sorceress obsessed with , yet her attention couldn’t stray fro
As in the te Vrekener warlord--who couldn’t intrigue her more "So, any new threats I should be concerned about?"
He shook his head "When was the last time you slept for more than an hour or two?"
"Before I was captured three weeks ago You?"
He shrugged "Weeks"
"So what do we do now?"
"I’ve been following this overgrown path deeper into the woods, toward the scent of water," he told her "There’s prey all around us I could catch so, but I doubt you’d eat it"
"Like the first time you tried to provide for me?"
All these years later, he deadpanned, "The rabbit had it cohter escaped her lips so quickly, so unexpectedly, she almost slapped her hands over her mouth
"Too soon?"
Another joke! And " He reached forward, tucking one of her braids behind her ear
Why was he being so nice to her? Had she beguiled him so swiftly? She’d been unconscious for part of the ti, seeold senses pinged again They had outside of Inferno, but she’d thought the telanced all around for the source Her gaze kept returning to Thronos
She’d bet her best headpiece that this Vrekener had gold on him But how?
Her eyes ide Could he have collected that ht
The Vrekener would get laid
No, no! No sex with Thronos Bad Lanthe! Clearing her throat, she said, "Karat for your thoughts" When he hesitated, she asked, "Are you beating yourself up for ?"
"Not as much as I should be"
"Question: Are people like you and me called offendmenters?"
"Have your fun, sorceress," he said without heat
"Always So tonight, we steal a key and use a portal?"
"That’s e’d discussed"
"But won’t angelic Thronos balk at thievery?" she asked in a playful tone "I remember when I once asked you to steal forup your nose as you said, ‘I will never take what doesn’t belong to me’ "
"You asked me to empty the coffers of Skye Hall!"
"What’s your point?"
He opened his
Sort of "If we unlock a portal, how can you trust me not to direct it to Rothkalina?"
"You tried for Rothkalina last tiht us to Pandemonia I believe you’ll aiet Fro o to your ho that either"
He raised his brows "We can wed only there Ibed"
She knew of some factions that had the same tradition--basically the ones that weren’t forever scra for their very survival When a male was born, a bed would be created that he would sleep in his entire life, eventually bringing his e?"
"That’s how Vrekeners marry When I claim you in a Bed of Troth, we’ll be bound"
"No cereold? No celebrating with far too much sine?"
"We’ve no need for ceremony In any case, my home is the only place where I know I can keep you safe"
Har "What would someone like me eat up there?" Vrekeners were omnivores, but they preferredcrops It’s the sole one that hovers below the clouds"
"I’ve heard it’s austere up there In Castle Tornin, I live in utter luxury, with all the mod-cons"