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It took several tries before he got the water to the teet even the siot in the tub and let the hot water soak away the sweat and grime, the ache in his muscles, and the tension that had ridden hi the boulders

By the time he returned to the bedrooht-backed chairs were positioned in front of the fire The table held two stea bowls of beef stew, a small loaf of bread, a dish of butter, cheese, fruit, a bottle of wine, and two glasses

Dae one of his black cigarettes "You’re alarette into the fire "Come and eat"

Jared went to the bed first to check on Lia He noticed a cup on the bedside table

"A healing brew," Daemon said

"She woke?" Jared leashed the emotion that bubbled up before he had a chance to identify it Before he had to acknowledge it

"No I brought her up out of the healing sleep enough for her to drink, but she wasn’t aware of anything"

So she didn’t know he hadn’t been in the room Didn’t know it had been Dae his body relax, Jared joined Dae up his spoon

They concentrated on their food for a few ht?" Jared asked, carefully buttering a thick slice of bread

"You’ll know by "

Jared forced a ht now, he couldn’t bear kindness or understanding fro else?" he asked

One of Dae specific in in? Considering how a if you think a detail like that would slip past me Or did you mean, could I tell that she’s recently injured her knee and hasn’t stayed off it enough to let it fully heal? Or that she hasn’tto the Darkness yet? Is that what you meant?"

Jared dropped his spoon His body went ice cold "What?"

"She hasn’tto the Darkness yet"

"You can’t--" Jared raked his fingers through his hair "You can’t be sure of that"

"Jared," Daemon said patiently, "you wear the Opal and the Red I can sense both levels of strength in you I only sense one level in her--the Green--and thepotentialfor ainterferes when she uess is she’ll wear the Gray"

"No one can tell beforehand what Jewels a person ear after the Offering," Jared protested

Daemon mopped up the last of his steith a piece of bread "She carried off theGrizelle so successfully, no one had doubted they were seeing a Gray-Jeweled Queen" Mild irritation flickered across his face and was gone

"She had good illusion spells," Jared argued

"An illusion spell wouldn’t have hidden the truth from someone ears a Jewel darker than the Gray"

There was so in Daeo toward acknowledging the rumors that he wore the rare Black Jewel

"Whichinher that resonates with the Gray in order to complete that illusion That’s why I think Lady Arabella Ardelia is a Gray-Jeweled Queen who hasn’t taken the final step necessary to actually wear the Gray Jewels" He paused, gave Jared a considering look "But you had sensed the illusion before she revealed the truth How?"

Frowning, Jared ate a spoonful of stew It was a guess that hit the target Since he didn’t want to adnals, which he then dis, he "

"Yes, I iine it is," Dae, he added, "Why don’t you tellthat had happened since he left Raej Well, al himself to mention the Fire Dance and the rut But he told Daemon what he knew about the others He told hiled webs He told hi Black Widow He told hiht that had ended with a half-Blood boy dead and Lia desperately ill