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"Daemon Sadi is his father’s son Does that answer your question?"
Alexandra tried but couldn’t suppress a shudder "And you really think he wants to destroy the Blood in Terreille?"
"I’m sure of it" Dorothea touched her white hair "I paid a heavy price to be sure of it"
"My other granddaughter, Wilhelmina Benedict, recently went to Kaeleer," Alexandra said softly
Dorothea stiffened "How recently?"
"She went through the Gate yesterday"
"Mother Night," Dorothea said, collapsing in her chair "I’m so sorry, Alexandra So very, very sorry"
"Prince Philip Alexander and I intend to go to Kaeleer as soon as that ’service fair’ is over and visitors are perain Hopefully, we’ll be able to find her and convince whatever Queen she’s signed a contract with to release her"
"She’s in far er than that," Dorothea said worriedly
"There’s no reason for her to draw anyone’s attention," Alexandra said, fearher voice sharp "There’s no reason for her to accept a contract outside of Little Terreille"
"There are two reasons: the High Lord and the witch he controls If you don’t find her quickly, Wilhelmina will end up in his dark embrace, and there will be no hope for her then"
Despite the warm room, a chill ran down Alexandra’s spine
Dorothea just looked at her for a long oal No one hunts very long for a corpse when the living need care And your granddaughter’s body was never found"
Alexandra stared at Dorothea "You thinkJaenelle is this powerful witch under the High Lord’s control?Jaenelle?" She laughed bitterly "Hell’s fire, Dorothea, Jaenelle couldn’t even dobasic Craft"
"If you kno to read between the lines of some of the less available records of the Blood’s history, you’ll find that there have been a feomen--very few, thank the Darkness--who had enormous reservoirs of power that they were unable to tap by themselves They required anemotional bond with someone who had the skill to channel the power in order to use it But they didn’t always have the choice abouthoas used" Dorothea paused "The gossip that has recently filtered in froh Lord’s pet describes her as ’eccentric,’ ’somewhat emotionally disturbed’ Does that sound familiar?"
Alexandra couldn’t catch her breath There wasn’t enough air in the rooh air?
"If you’ll take it, I’ll give you whatever help I can" Dorothea looked at her sadly "You can’t ignore this, Alexandra No matter what you want to think or what you want to believe, you can’t ignore the fact that the High Lord’s pet witch, the witch Daeelline"
5 / Terreille
Dorothea pulled aside the dark, heavy curtains and stared out at the night-shrouded garden She felt drained, physically and e her nails in and scratch out the pathetically hopeful look in the eyes of the rasp at any excuse for her behavior over the past centuries They wanted to believe that amale had made her cruel, ahts, amale had been behind her rise to power and the viciousness afterward that had made it possible to soften and harvest most of the other Territories in Terreille
They didn’t want to give her any credit at all They wanted her to be a victi her, so that they could pretend they served out of a sense of honor instead of avarice and fear
Well, once Kaeleer fell, she would e for the fools to die in battle, choking on their bloody honor
"You did well today, Sister," said a harsh but still girlish voice "I couldn’t have done betterat Hekatah, the deh Priestess of Hell, always turned her stomach "They were your words, notthat you’re pleased"