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"I’ently "I expect it’s just the usual inforstrom sentelse"

The lanced at the Warlord’s Yelloel "May I offer you the use of a Coach to take you hoh any bother"

"It’s no bother--and with a driver who can ride the darker Winds, you’ll be home in time to have dinner with your Lady"

The Warlord hesitated a er "Thank you I--don’t like to be away fro" He looked a little sheepish "She says I fuss"

Saetan s to become a father You’re entitled to fuss" He led the ave Beale instructions about the Coach, and returned to Dae the letter opener on his desk, he carefully slit the envelope He called in his half-ot reports fro the glass of brandy Daemon poured for hi this one As he read the letter a second time, he barely listened to Daemon’s and Lucivar’s conversation--until Daeht his attention "What did you say?"

"I said Lord Magstro to send letters to some of the Queens outside of Little Terreille," Daelass "But after Jorval took over handling ration, I was told that the Queens outside of Little Terreille wouldn’t consider a Black-Jeweled Warlord Prince"

Lucivar snorted "Jorval probably arranged for the letters not to be sent Hell’s fire, Daemon, you’ve met the other Territory Queens They’re the coven If a letter had reached any one of then the contract as fast as he could travel"

"Read this," Saetan said, handing the letter to Daemon

"I don’t understand," Daemon said when he’d read half the letter "Aren’t the lists supposed to indicate every irant at the service fair?"

"Yes, they are," Lucivar said gri over Daemon’s shoulder "And you weren’t on any of them" He looked at Saetan "I did mention that at the time"

"Yes, you did," Saetan replied, "but, since Daemondid end up in the Dark Court, I failed to appreciate the significance of that remark"

Daemon handed the letter back to Saetan "There must have been a list somewhere Otherwise, hoould the Queens in Little Terreille have knoas available?"

Saetan kept his voice mild "What Queens were those?"

"There were four Queens in Little Terreille illing to have me," Daemon said slowly "Jorval insisted they were the only ones"

"So, if you hadn’t ned a contract with one of the quietly, Lucivar started to pace

Saetan just nodded "You would have signed a contract with one of Jorval’s handpicked Queens, and you would have ended up tucked away somewhere in Little Terreille-- with no one else aware that youwere there"

"What would have been the point of that?" Dae of Obedience on i males," Lucivar snapped"That’s the point It would have been Terreille all over again"

"Not necessarily," Saetan said, still keeping his voice mild "If Daemon ell treated, was handled with care--which I’reeth of his Jewels against an ene the Queen he served And after the first unleashing of the Black, there would have been no turning back The lines would have been drawn"

Daemon stared at hi at the two of them uneasily "Daemon’s with us"

"Yes," Saetan said softly, "he is But where are the other men whose naolden spider studied the two tangled webs of dreams and visions

More deaths Many deaths

It was time

Rehout the cold season, she had been pulled away fro, co myth, the Queen as Witch And she had realized it would not be enough, because living inside the flesh had changed this dream It wasmore now And, somehow, she needed to add that "one for too many seasons--and would not be quite the same when the drea, Ladvarian, was the key He would be able to bring her the "more" she needed

Yes It was time

She returned to the chaan to weave the web for dreams that were already made flesh

Chapter Thirteen

1 / Kaeleer