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She felt sohter, Leland, joined her at the

"Why would Wilhelmina have wanted to colad e can leave here"

"You don’t have to stay, Leland Especially now that Vania and Nyselle have so graciously insisted on acco me"

"They didn’t come with us out of loyalty," Leland said quietly but bitterly "They just wanted a chance to see the Shadow Realet in any other way"

Alexandra clenched her teeth while the truth of Leland’s renawed at her Vania and Nyselle, the two Province Queens who grudgingly had acco in their solicitousness as soon as she announced she was going to Kaeleer to look for Wilhel with Philip and Leland and a five-man escort Four of the escorts had come with her from Chaillot The other one, chosen by Dorothea SaDiablo, had been "borrowed" from one of Dorothea’s pet Queens in another Territory The man made her skin crawl, but Dorothea had assured her that he would be able to slip Wilhelmina away froroup of males already in position in Kaeleer

It pains me to say it,Dorothea had said,but if you can free only one of your granddaughters froh Lord’s control, it er to Terreille

Alexandra didn’t believe for a -horse being used to hide whoever--or whatever--was thereal threat to Terreille But, sweet Darkness, she hoped she wouldn’t have to make a choice between Wilhelmina and Jaenelle--because she knew in her heart which child would be left behind

"Besides," Leland added softly, "I need to stay She was always such a strange child, but Jaenelle wasishter To think she’s been under that monster’s control all this ti what he’s done to her"

And no way to tell what had been done to her in Briarwood Had she really been ile or had that place made her so? No, she decided firht have weakened an already fragile stability, but the child’s eccentricities had been the reason why she had decided to send the girl to Briarwood in the first place

"What are we going to do?" Leland asked quietly

Alexandra looked over her shoulder at the other people restlessly waiting for her decision Philip, whose self-control had broken several tiiven her Lord Jorval’s inforo with her, not only because he had enuinely cared for Wilhelo in order to see round The Consorts and escorts would follow the Queens out of duty Would curiosity and duty be enough against soh Lord?

It didn’t et

As she turned back to the , she said, "Prince Alexander, please arrange passage on a Coach as soon as possible We’re going to SaDiablo Hall"

5 / Kaeleer

Certain that he had more reat hall where, Beale had inforain Never never never He should have remembered what "I’ll start you off easy" meant, should have remembered that other kinds of exercise didn’t prepare the body for Eyrien weapons drills Oh, if he wanted to be fair--and he had no intention of being fair in the foreseeable future--Lucivarhad started hi at the practice pace, when you had Lucivar as a working partner, youworked

Then he opened a door at the far end of the great hall and forgot about his aching muscles when he saw Saetan brush the hair away from the face of an attractive Dhemlan witch There was tenderness in that action, and affection as well Wondering if he was reading things correctly, he moved forward as quietly as possible

The witch noticed hi step back and watched hier he picked up from his father that made him wary

Then Saetan turned, saw hi toward him

"What happened to you?" Saetan demanded "Are you hurt?"

"Lucivar happened to ritted teeth

"Why were you and Lucivar tangling?" Saetan asked in a deceptively neutral voice that had a strong undertone of parental disapproval

"We weren’t tangling, ere drilling But I’ the distinction"

The witch turned away fro funny noises When she turned back, her gold eyes were bright with laughter "I’ been on the receiving end of Lucivar’s instruction, I understand how you feel"

"Why were you doing weapons drills with Lucivar?" Saetan asked

"Because I’m an idiot" Daemon raised his hand to brush the hair off his forehead His arh the o back down "I really want to be there the next time Jaenelle puts him in the dirt"

"Who doesn’t?" the witch h "Sylvia, this is Daemon Sadi Daemon, this is Lady Sylvia, the Queen of Halaway"

Sylvia’s eyes widened "This is theboy?"

Daeave him a sharp mental jab

" ’Boy’ is a relative term," Saetan said

"I’ to school her face into an appropriate expression

Saetan just looked at her