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The fear hadn’t been there during the ride here He was sure of that Hell’s fire, he’d touched her, sat beside her Even she couldn’t have hidden feelings that strong while there had been physical contact between thee, then The mes

As he watched Grizelle tuck her hands into the sleeves of her robe and walk into the ticket station, his waning endurance finally gave out The world became fuzzy and slow

So hard to walk, despite the hand on his arether and stretching out until they becahtmarish shapes Bodies appeared in front of hied on his arht fear and sickly broeat oozed around the word shapes

Water

Why did that have to be the one word that stillCoaches?"

He thought that was one of the guards speaking, but couldn’t be sure since the voice kept fading in and out

"Bound toTerritory’s westTaht the resthere"

Except they alking again, endlessly walking, while the escorts swore under their breath and their blade-sharp anger cut into him

Where were his inner barriers? Where

Sos folded under hiray voice The word "water"

A cup at hispast his lips He held it for athe wetness, before he sed Then he tried to grab the cup and gulp, but hands pulled it away from him

"Sslloowlly"

He obeyed It was so important to obey, so iray didn’t take away the water

Finally enough

Ballsansass That was ih he couldn’t remember why

He slid sideways The water had melted his bones He hadn’t knoater could do that Whiskey could, if you drank enough of it, but water? Who would have guessed?

Then he wasaway into the safety of the night, into the sweet Darkness

Chapter Four

"She took the bait," theFifth Circleguard reported with barely restrained eagerness

Krelis leaned back in his chair, dropping his hands below the desk to hide the tre he couldn’t control Dorothea’s compulsion spell must have worked, which made him feel easier about the other spells she’d woven for hih Priestess’s ability

"While she was in Raej, did the bitch buy anyone whoo

The blank look on the guard’s face only lasted a moment Then he stiffened and focused his eyes on the back wall of the Master’s office "My apologies, Lord Krelis I didn’t think to obtain a list of the slaves she bought"

"Nor did Lord Maryk think to include it in your instructions,"‘ Krelis said s the trap within the words

Krelis understood being torn between loyalty and survival As a boy, he had loved Olvan, who had been a gentle but firm parent as well as a respected teacher and scholar As a youth, he’d felt desperate to get away frohtened, withered man his father had become after that day at the tree No one had needed to tell hier a connection remained between father and son, the more distrustful the influentialQueenswould be when the time came to serve in their courts

Forced to choose between loyalty and survival, he had chosen survival Loyalty, he discovered, could be bought easily enough

So he waited to see which the guard would choose-- loyalty to Maryk, as not only an aristo but an experienced second-in-coiance to the new Master of the Guard

Finally, the guard said in a low voice, "No, sir, Lord Maryk did not include obtaining the list in his instructions"

"No esture "Lord Maryk had le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>