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Jaenelle patted his arm and whispered, "If she answered, it wouldn’t be a surprise" Then she held out her other hand to Yuli "Let’s find you a rooreat hall when four Sceltie puppies caed tails at everyone before running back to whatever puppy ga

The fourth one planted his little white feet on Yuli’s foot and said, "My boy!"

"I guess that settles that," Jaenelle told Dae the boy’s face blooht

"Can I play with him while I’ with him"Yes, you can He still has some trouble on the stairs, so why don’t you pick him up while I show you to your room"

"Up!" the puppy said "Up!" When Yuli didn’t immediately respond, the puppy whined and looked at Jaenelle "Boy has dead ears?"

"He hasn’t learned to hear kindred yet," Jaenelle said, slanting a glance at Yuli "But he’ll learn"

"Huh?" Yuli said

"Pick hi experience"

She pressed her lips together, fighting to keep a straight face "For both of them"

As Yuli followed them, silent and wide-eyed, and the puppy never shut up about what he would need to train his boy, Daeood has come from all that pain

TWENTY-SEVEN

Daemon filled time with paperhile he waited for Jaenelle to return home

He’d wondered if his father had been aware of the half-Bloods ere raised in orphans’ homes in Dhemlan He should have known better His only excuse for not picking up the clues was his own emotional turmoil the previous year

One of the vast estates owned by the SaDiablo fa a school When he’d taken over handling the family’s property and wealth, Saetan had told him that community was required to support itself, but no income should be expected from it Daemon hadn’t questioned it or looked at the place beyond reviewing the quarterly reports toitself

So when he and Jaenelle sat down to review possible new ho to discover that the community’s school was for half-Blood children who had the potential to become Blood when they reached maturity Some of the children were there because their parents wanted them to have the dual landen-Blood education that matched their potential Others were considered orphans--children who had lost their parents or children whose parents were nothing ed family bloodlines The children were educated and cared for, taught Protocol, and instructed in basic Craft if they developed the power to do siiven the opportunity to earn spendingwithin the community or on another part of the estate

Two hundred children made their home at that school--and now Yuli was one of theave him a look he couldn’t interpret, then sluiven the honor of being the Official Liaison between the school and the Warlord Prince of Dhe piece of parcheto keep his expression bland

"Didn’t want to talk to me themselves?"

"Not in this decade So Do you want to see an extra report from the school? Do you require copies of the reports sent--and approved by the High Lord--froers, and rested the forefingers against his chin "Is this a ripple caused by h they would prefer not to talk to you directly, the school’s administrators seemed more puzzled than concerned by this sudden interest in the school"

A good sign that he wouldn’t find anything wrong at the school when he paid them a surprise visit And he would take the Official Liaison with hi the shit out of everyone

"We discussed the necessity of Yuli receiving so, since I don’t think he has much of the Dhemlan race in his bloodline and he’ll mature faster than the other children," Jaenelle said "It may be that he’ll do better in a Territory like Scelt, but I’d prefer to keep hi"

"Was Yuli co at the school?" Daehtened But after he saw his rooood place--boy and puppy adjusted quickly enough More quickly than the ad a kindred puppy at the school will ular visits from adult kindred?"

"And that not all of those adults will be s the smile

A small froas added to his smile "Socks? The puppy’s name is Socks?"

Jaenelle rolled her eyes "Yuli said the puppy looked like he earing white socks, so the puppy announced that that was his name--Socks"

"He’s a Warlord, yes?"

"Yes, and that one will definitely wear a Jewel of sufficient rank when he goes through the Birthright Ceremony--and that means he’ll most likely wear a dark Jewel at le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>