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Don’t do that,he warned himselfDon’t smear her with the memories of how other wo, but it didn’t lessen his feelings of bitter unhappiness

"I will explain to the Lady," Beale said, squaring his shoulders

"No" Daemon took the invitation "No matter the reason, I’m still the one who is accountable"

"But--"

"No" He hesitated "I do appreciate the offer, Beale"

He waited until Beale left before he approached the connecting door and knocked

"Coht of as their bedrooave him a puzzled look, then turned her attention back to the dress box on the bed "I stopped in Amdarh on the way home I wanted to see if the dress was finished, and it was" She seemed happy and excited as she tossed the top of the box aside "Why were you knocking?"

"I wasn’t sure if I would be welcohtened up, and faced hi blankness

They were still working through some difficult patches in their relationship, raw spots created during the --when neither of the wanted by the other So his words were a warning that he had done so hi what?" she asked too softly

He felt a desperate need to hold her, to assure himself that it was, after all, a small mistake But it wasn’t Not for a Blood e was so new he still wasn’t accustoer--or the joy of knowing that it was there at all

So he couldn’t touch her as he wanted to Couldn’t even beg to be forgiven until he received so Because it wasn’t just his wife he had disappointed; it was his Queen

He held out the invitation "I’m sorry" Inadequate words, but all he could offer at thetime Then she looked at hier, but it was the icy slash of te deep in the abyss, almost to the level of the Black, that told him he was in serious trouble

Sweet Darkness, she waspissed at hie is located?" she asked, handing the invitation back to hih to accoather a few supplies" She headed for the door leading to the corridor

"Jaenelle…"

"Now,Prince"

Her voice made his heart race as the sound sizzled down his spine like cold lightning There were caverns and sepulchres--and a whisper of ht whispered in that voice

Witch, not Jaenelle, had just issued that co he could do about her anger, he went downstairs to prepare the Coach so they could ride the Winds to the landen village where that damn spooky house was located

"That’s not a fresh kill," Rainier said, holding a hand over his nose and mouth

Surreal stared at the body in the closet "Nope Been here long enough to start to s the illusion of that face let us into this house and passed h the door at the end of the hallway" The shields had kept the smell to a minimum until she opened the door Now there was no doubt they were looking at carrion

"What door?" Rainier asked

She looked at the end of the hallway "The door that’s no longer there"

"Hell’s fire," Rainieron here? And where are Jaenelle and Marian?"

She shook her head, then took a step closer to the body Was that…? Yes There was a folded piece of paper tucked between the dead caretaker’s thigh and hand Naturally it was between the body parts farthest from the door

She reached in, pulled the paper free, shook off a couple ofthe door to cut down on the s dark outside--and even darker in here," Rainier said "Let’s go into the sitting roohtened children"

"We’re going to be dealing with frightened children whether we light lamps or not," Surreal replied

"I just don’t understand what Jaenelle and Marian were thinking"

Surreal waggled the paper "Since I think I found the first clue, let’s light the lamps and find out"

Theroom, Dayle said, "Where is the spooky stuff? This place is boring" Then she poked her lower lip out in a pout

Maybe landen adults thought pouting was cute As far as Surreal was concerned, if you were old enough to stand up by yourself, you were too old to pout and have it look cute

"Don’t even consider it," Rainier said

"I wasn’t considering anything"