Page 82 (1/2)

Everything has a price

"What about Jaenelle’s house in Maghre?" Lucivar asked

Daemon shook his head "Let Wilhelmina have it She’s decided to settle in Scelt, and--"

"The house was leased for Jaenelle," Saetan said firmly "It remains for Jaenelle If you have no objections to Wilhel there until she finds a place of her own, so be it"

Daemon backed down He loved that house, too, but he wasn’t sure he could ever live there again And he wasn’t really sure if Saetan truly believed Jaenelle was co to do anything that would acknowledge that she wasn’t After all, it had been two months noith no news of any kind, just Tersa’s continued--and useless--assurance that it would be all right "Is that it?"

He read the e in Saetan’s eyes "I’ll be with you in a minute," he said to Lucivar when his brother rose and looked at him

When they were alone, Saetan said carefully, "I kno you feel about Ebon Askavi now"

Daemon rushed in "I truly hope you will come to visit, Father, because I’ll never set foot in the Keep again"

Saetan said gently, "You have to go one more time Draca wants to see you"

3 / Kaeleer

"There iss sso I want to sshow you" Draca unlocked a door and stepped aside

Daeallery Dozens upon dozens of paintings hung on the walls

At first, he saw only one The last one

Unable to look at it, he turned his back to it and began to study the rest of them in order Some were very, very old, but all of them had been exquisitely done As he sloalked around the room, he realized the portraits spanned the species who made up the Blood--and they were all female

When he reached the last one, he studied Jaenelle’s portrait for a long tinature Dujae Of course

He turned and looked at Draca

"They were all dreaently "Soe Thesse were Witch"

"But--" Daeain "I don’t see Cassandra’s portrait here"

"Sshe wass a Black-Jeweled witch, the Queen of Ebon Asskavi But sshe wass not Witch Sshe wass not dreamss made flessh"

He shook his head "Witch wears the Black She’s always a Black-Jeweled Queen"

"No That iss not alwayss the drea dreamakerss" She paused, waited "Your dream wass to be Conssort to the Queen of Ebon Asskavi Iss that not true?"

Daeht they were the saht Witch and the Queen of Ebon Askavi were the sa his eyes "If they hadn’t been the same, if I’d had to choose between the Queen and JaenelleI never would have set foot in this place Excuse me, Draca "

He started to rush past her, but he saw her hand move as if to hold hi who she was, he couldn’t be that disrespectful

Her ancient hand moved slowly, caone," she said very quietly "But sshe who iss Kaeleer’ss Heart, sshe who iss Witch, sstill livess"

4 / Kaeleer

"You’ll take the income I’ve provided for you," Saetan snarled as he and Surreal walked through one of the Hall’s gardens He’d thought this would be a si to occupy a bit of time while he waited for Daemon to return from the Keep

Surreal snarled back "I don’t need a damn income from you"

He stopped and turned on her "Are you or are you not family?"

She stepped up to him until they were toe to toe "Yes, I’m family, but--"

"Then take the damn income!" he shouted

"Why?" she shouted back

"Because I love you!" he roared "And I want to give you that much"

She swore at him

Hell’s fire, ere his children all so stubborn!

He leashed his teift, Surreal Please take it"

She hooked her hair behind her ears "If you’re going to put it that way"