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In the end it was one frightenedfor weakness, while Titian’s trained Hounds constantly lunged at the body, forcing Greer to use th in his Jewels to keep theh his inner barriers at the sah his body and pinned it to a tree

As the Harpies pulled the body away froh Greer’sthe meat from a cracked nut She saw the children he’d feasted on She saw the narrow bed, the blood on the sheets, the fa face that had been bruised by his er driving into his heart, slicing his throat She saw hi at her when his own knife had slither throat centuries ago And she sahere he’d been tonight

Titian sheathed the knife and checked the blade of the s him down before he reached Little Terreille If Greer’s assessin soon

A Guardian wasn’t a natural being in a living Real--especially when that Guardian was also the High Lord of Hell And she could guess well enough how the Kaeleer Queens were going to react to the rumors

She would visit her kinswomen, tell them what she wanted from them if the opportunity presented itself That would help

Titian picked up her ax The Harpies one The torso was elih

With three precise strokes, Titian split Greer’s skull Using the blade, she opened one of the splits until it ide enough for her fingers Then she tore the bone away

She looked into Greer’s eyes Still enough there

Whistling for the pack leader, she walked away, s on the brain

7 / Kaeleer

Saetan brushed his hair for the third ti, black-tinted nails twice Like changing his jacket and then changing back to the first one

He stopped hihtened his already straight jacket, and sighed

Would the children come?

He hadn’t requested a reply to the invitation because he had wanted to give the children as e or wear down their elders’ argu in day after day ht do to Jaenelle

As he had promised, he or other members of the family had delivered all the invitations Some had been left at the child’s residence Most had been left at e stones, the piles of rocks just inside a Territory’s border where travelers or traders could leave a es left in those places reached

the intended person, and he doubted those children would be here this afternoon He didn’t knohat to expect from the children in the accessible Territories He only hoped Andulvar was right and that little witch fro a deep breath that still cah, Saetan left his suite to join the rest of the fareat hall

Everyone was there except Jaenelle and Sylvia Halaway’s Queen had been delighted when he’d told her about the party and had used her considerable enthusias trip for a new outfit They didn’t coly, that the soft, full, sapphire pants and long, flowing jacket were very feold-and-silver top worn beneath the jacketAs a rind his teeth

As soon as she saw him, Cassandra took his arm and led him away from the other men "Do you think it’s wise for everyone to be out here?" she asked quietly "Won’t it be too inti?"

"And ould you ask to leave?" Saetan replied, knowing full well he was one of the people she thought should be absent

After receiving his note, Cassandra had arrived to help with the preparations, but she’d acted too forcedly cheerful, as if she were really preparing for theroom Sylvia, on the other hand, had thrown herself into the preparations and had bristled at anyone who dared to express a doubt

A wise man would have locked himself in his study and stayed there Only a fool would have left titches alone when they were constantly circling and spitting at each other like angry cats

When Cassandra didn’t answer his question, Saetan took his place in the great hall Andulvar was one step behind him on his left Mephis and Prothvar were on Andulvar’s left and a little to the side so that they weren’t part of the official greetings Cassandra stood on Saetan’s right, one

step behind By rights she should have stood beside him, Black with Black, and he was only too aware of why she was using an option of Protocol to distance herself fro down the staircase in the infor a little too lovely with her golden eyes shining and her cheeks flushed "The wolf pups hid Jaenelle’s shoes and it took a while to find them," she said breathlessly "She’s on her way down, but I didn’t want to be late"

Saetan smiled at her "You’re not--"

A clock struck three times

Cassandra made a quiet, unhappy sound and stepped away from him

For the first time since he’d told her about the party, Sylvia’s eyes filled with concern

They all stood in the great hall, silently waiting, while Beale stood woodenly by the front door and the footht ahead

The hed "I’d better go up--"

"We don’t need any more ofyour kind of help," Cassandra said coldly as she brushed past Sylvia "You set her upfor this"