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Before Dae one ar hiet breakfast later," Khary said as he and Aaron led Daemon to the nearest empty room "First, we need to have a little talk"

"It’s not what you think," Dae?" Aaron sputtered, while Khary said, "If you’ve figured out a new variation of ’cradle’ that gives a e, it’s your duty as a Brother of the First Circle to share it with the rest of us before the coven figures out how to beat it"

He just stared at them, not sure he had heard them correctly

Aaron sht?"

Dae

2 / Kaeleer

Osvald knocked on Wilhelripped the carved wooden box with both hands

It hadn’t taken much persuasion to convince Alexandra to keep most of her people in their rooms It had taken more to convince her to send Leland and Philip down to breakfast in order to give the appearance that everyone else was merely late With sountil he was long gone fro, of course, that the spells Dorothea and the Dark Priestess had prepared to cut a "door" in the High Lord’s defensive shields actually worked

No He wouldn’t doubt The spells that had kept hih that Dorothea and the Dark Priestess kne to deal with the bastard who ruled this place He would escape with the lesser of the two prizes, true, but that lesser prize, sufficiently squeezed, elline

Everything was in place The threeat the bridge Therewas a Dark Altar beside the Hall, but she had warned him that the detection spells around that Altar would iet the Gate open in time to escape So he would take Wilhelmina to Goth, where Lord Jorval would help hi, he would be back in Terreille with his prize, and Alexandra and the fools ith her would still be explaining Wilhel

Sain A moment later, impatient, he knocked harder She was in there He’dto open a da to use one of the simple compulsion spells Dorothea had prepared for him, but he only had two of them and didn’t want to waste one for this Still, everyhier one of the co, Lady Wilhelh to draw it to her attention "Lady Alexandra askedthis to you"

"What is it?" Wilhelard for you--and a gesture of goodwill She’s planning to leave soon and has felt distressed that her concern for youthis little memento, you’ll be able to remember her fondly in the days to co it herself?"

Osvald looked at her sadly "She feared you ift and didn’t want to face that rejection in person"

"Oh," Wilhel to sys toward her"

He held the box out, both to entice and to keep his face as far away froed asp and inhale enough of the highly potent drug to et her away fro the second, liquid dose down her throat

Inside the roo thuered the first compulsion spell and shaped the commandStep into the corridor and close the door Step into the corridor and close the door Step into

He shtly confused, Wilhelift," he said, sounding apologetic about putting her to the extra bother

She stayed close to the door, her hand still gripping the knob

Cursing silently, he triggered the second compulsion spellStep close to the box and raise the lid Step close to the box

Moving as if her ainst the effort, Wilhelmina stepped close to the box and slowly lifted the lid

3 / Kaeleer

With Graysfang beside her, Surreal wandered around one of the inner gardens The cryptic remarks Jaenelle and Karla had ued and worried her

There were plenty of sexual variations that gave theaboutthat unfortunately Daey, and the strain of trying to keep it leashed sufficiently in order not to scare Jaenelle was starting to show She wasn’t sure how ave to the other males in the First Circle before he lashed out Maybe she should talk to the High Lord

Graysfang snarled Before she could ask rong, he took off, heading straight for the wall As he approached, he leaped and cli a steep hill, scra!" Surreal shouted

Dejaal is being attacked, he replied I’ to help him

Surreal swore viciously as she ran for the nearest door

"Surreal!"