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Talon slaht her to rideI’ht her how to fight with Craft Don’t youdare tell me she’s not my concern"

Jared stared at Talon Finally, he said, "Have you ever played chess with her?"

"What’s--" The glaze of fury slowly faded fro Jared, he stepped back After a minute, he shook his head, and said dryly, "I think I just did"

Now that Talon’s anger had passed, Jared felt the sting of the accusations "If you were so concerned, why didn’t you stay to escort her to the Tamanara Mountains?"

There was no way to describe the look in Talon’s eyes "Warlord," he said quietly, "even a rogue knohen to yield to a Queen"

Jared squirmed a little, like a boy chastised by an elder "But you ca for her"

"Well," Talon said with a genuine sh clap on the shoulder "Let’s go see the witchling She deserves a good scolding"

"Can I watch?" Jared asked, falling into step beside Talon

"Of course," Talon replied, laughing "How else will you learn how to do it right?

Jared knocked on the bedroom door but didn’t wait for Lia to answer before he slipped into the roo her with some concern She see subdued Talon’s skill at scolding far exceeded any instructorhe’d ever had "Are you feeling well?"

"I’ the botto, but she also couldn’t seeht"

Lia pressed her lips together and stared at the floor Finally, she sighed "One of the reasons--the ht is that I never wanted to ask one of theso intiht the males in the court would be appalled to hear her say that, but he could understand how Lia ht think of it as some unwanted "duty"

"I--" Lia took a couple of deep breaths "Would you do it?"

Jared’s ive this much To know that she trusted hilance at hih his hair "Yes Of course When we get to Dena Nehele--"

"No" Lia scraped her teeth over her bottom lip "It has to be now Before sunset"

Jared took a step back His legs hit the edge of the bed He sat down abruptly "Now?Right now?"

Lia nodded "Thera says if I don’t have ht before sunset, I never will"

Jared opened his mouth, sure that he’d been about to express a reasonable opinion, but nothing came out

If only it hadn’t been Thera, who had heeded a si and had survived because of itThat he couldn’t dismiss

"Lia"

"If you’re not comfortable with it, I can ask Talon--"

Jared shot to his feet "I’ll kill him first"

Lia blinked Frowned Finally said, "If you kill him first, won’t that make the rest of itaard?"

"It willout each word

"Oh"

Jared rubbed his hands over his face His body remembered what it felt like to hold her, kiss her, and itwantedHis heart yearned to in Night" like some terrified mouse

Jared lowered his hands "I’ll be back shortly You stay right here" He gestured toward a chair "Sit down Relax Concentrate on breathing or so"

He bolted froainst the wall

He’d have to find Talon and ask hi a pleasure slave didn’t qualify hiht He’d seen plenty of witches who’d been broken during that first intihtly vacant look in their eyes Any fire that had burned in their hearts had been snuffed out under a , he didn’t think he could bear seeing Lia’s eyes filled with that lost, vacant expression

Oh, witches adjusted to the loss of their Jewels and their Craft The ones froes He wasn’t sure what kind of life the others endured They adjusted But they were never again whole Many of them just faded away until there was littleSome of them slipped into madness None of the broken, and nancies ended with an early ht it was unfair that broken witches should be stripped of their ability to have children as well as being stripped of their Jewels But after having lived in the Territories that stood in Hayll’s shadow, he doubted any of theretted that barrenness It was not in a witch’s nature to becoender she would consider as the enemy

Jared pushed away from the wall He and Talon had spent the early afternoon re the seats in the two small Coaches so they could fit e spaces--and finding a safe place for the six honey pear trees Lia insisted come with them

Thank the Darkness, some of Talon’s men kne to handle a Coach, so there was no proble drivers

With luck, Talon would be checking on so else that had to be readied for their departure, and it would take some time to find him Maybe by then, Lia would have reconsidered