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"Why should he trust you?" Jaenelle said bitterly

Pain flared in Lucivar’s eyes

Saetan felt Jaenelle’s inner barriers open just a crack He didn’t stop to think At the er at and distress for Lucivar, he swept in and out of that crack, tasting the eht she could force theht she had an eht She did

But now, so did he

"Let her go, Lucivar," Saetan crooned, his voice a purring, soft thunder Still leaning against the ith his ar bow "The Lady has us by the balls, and she knows it"

He felt bitterly pleased to see the wariness in Jaenelle’s eyes

She looked quickly at both of theoing to stop you" Saetan sree to pay the price for our submission If you refuse, the only way you’ll walk out of here is by destroying both of us"

Such a neat trap Such sweet bait

He confused her, had finally ed to unnerve her

She was about to find out how neatly he could spin her into a web

"What’s your price?" Jaenelle asked reluctantly

One casual, flicking glance took in everything from her head to her feet "Your body"

She dropped the knife

It probably would have cut off a couple of toes if Lucivar hadn’t vanished it in midair

"Your body, my Lady," Saetan crooned "The body you treat with such contempt Since you obviously don’t want it, I’ll take it in trust for the one who already has a claim to it"

Jaenelle stared at him, her eyes wide and blank "You want me to leave this body? Like I did before?"

"Leave?" His voice sounded silky and dangerous "No, you don’t have to leave I’ive you a permanent loan But it would be a loan, you understand, and you would be expected to give the body the saive any object lent to you by a friend"

She studied hi time "And if I don’t take care of it? What will you do?"

Saetan pushed away from the wall

Jaenelle flinched, but her eyes never left his

"Nothing," he said too softly "I won’t fight with you I won’t use physical strength or Craft to force you I’ll do nothing except keep a record of the transgressions I’ll never ask you for an explanation, and I’ll never explain for youYou can try to justify abusing part of what Daemon paid for with dear coin"

Jaenelle’s face turned dead white Saetan caught her as she swayed and held her against his chest

"Heartless bastard," she whispered

"Perhaps," he replied "So what is your answer, Lady?"

" Jaenelle! You promised!"

Jaenelle jumped out of his arms, back-pedaled to try to keep her balance, and ended up with her back suilty expression and began to feelthat Lucivar had come up on her blind side, he turned his attention toward the annoyed, half-grown Sceltie and the silent, but equally annoyed, Arcerian kitten who noeighed as row "What did the Lady promise?" he asked Ladvarian "You promised to eat and sleep and read books and take easy walkies until you healed," Ladvarian said accusingly, staring at Jaenelle

"I a with Lucivar" Lucivar stepped away from the wall so that they could see his left arh, too" Ladvarian and Kaelas snarled at Jaenelle "This is different," Jaenelle snapped "This is ihting with hireedinstead of pushing herself until she collapsed" Ladvarian and Kaelas snarled louder "For sha a Black thread to keep the conversation private "Breaking a proree to er?"

Her venoood indication of how often she lost these kinds of "discussions" once Ladvarian and, therefore, Kaelas

"My Brothers" Saetan tipped his head courteously toward Ladvarian and Kaelas "The Lady would never break a proood reason Despite the risks to her oell-being, she has pledged herself to a delicate task, one that cannot be delayed Since this promise was made before the one she made to you, we must yield to the Lady’s wishes As she said, this is important"