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"Daemon, reach for me I can show you the road back"

Words lie Blood doesn’t

The hand shook with the effort to reach him

"Daemon, let me help you Please"

Inches separated them All he had to do was raise his hand and he could leave this island

His fingers twitched

"Daemon, trust me I can help you"

Blood So much blood A sea of it He would drown in it Because he’d trusted that voice once and he’d done sohe’d done

"liar!"he screauished plea

"never!"

The hand began to fade

Fear swamped him He didn’t want to be alone in this sea of blood with the words circling, waiting to slice into hiht, wanted whatever lies ht ease this pain for a little while

But he owed so

Butchering whore

That voice, that hand had tricked hi someone But, sweet Darkness, hoanted to trust, wanted to hold on

"Daemon" A whisper of sound

The hand faded, withdrew

He waited

The words circled and circled The island crumbled a little more

He waited The hand didn’t return

He pressed hiround and wept in relief

Saetan sank to his knees The threads of the tangled ere blackened, cru as it fell froer

So close A hand span at most A in the journey out of that pain andout on the cold stone floor, Saetan pillowed his head on his arms and wept bitterly

3 / Kaeleer

Saetan looked at Lucivar and shook his head

"Well," Lucivar said, his voice tight, "you tried" After a minute he added, "You’re wanted in the kitchen"

"In the kitchen? Why?" Saetan asked as Lucivar herded him toward Mrs Beale’s undisputed territory

Lucivar smiled and dropped a friendly hand on Saetan’s shoulder

The gesture filled hi with Cat is an experience"

"Do I really want to know about this?"

"No," Lucivar said cheerfully, "but you’re going to anyway"

Jaenelle sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor A brown-and-white Sceltie puppy tue, whitekitten?

"Hello, Papa," Jaenelle said h Lord," said the puppy When Saetan didn’t answer, the puppy looked at Jaenelle "Papa High Lord?"

"Kindred" Saetan cleared his throat His voice went back to a deep baritone "The Scelties are kindred?"

"Not all of them," Jaenelle said defensively

"About the sarinning "You’re taking this a lot better than Khardeen did He sat down in thehiot run over by a cart"