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Saetan shook his head "He said his name was Theran"

"The man I knew Jared This one has the look of hi an effort to rein in his own formidable temper "Do you owe them a favor?"

"Not exactly"

Jared had left a written account of his journey with Lia while being pursued by Dorothea’s Master of the Guard Within that account, which Jared had left at the Keep for Dae the taint fro all of the Blood

So, in a way, he did owe Jared Whether he owed anything to Jared’s bloodline

"I liked Jared," Daeoodto talk to this Prince Theran and find out what he wants" He paused and considered "But not here I’d like Jaenelle to meet him"

"Why?"

"Because I would trust her instincts about him better than I’d trust mine"

Saetan considered that and nodded "Then we’ll arrange to have hiht to the Hall How soon do you want h "Since you’re my father, you’d knohere to find me"

"Oh, he doesn’t know I’m your father As far as Prince Theran is concerned, I’m just the assistant historian/librarian Just a ‘pissy old cock’ " Saetan’s shts as well as he should"

Oh, shit "Arrange to have him arrive at the Hall late this afternoon"

"Done" As if trying to shake off the mood--and the temper--Saetan looked at the table and raised an eyebrow "I see you enjoyed the sweet-cheese confection"

Dah

"Even so," Saetan continued, "you should eat soetables"

An undercurrent of a like a boy wasn’t aslike an erring son was downright uncomfortable "I just meant to taste it"

"Hmm" Saetan pulled out a chair and sat down He took a spoonful of vegetable casserole and a slice of roast beef, and waroblet of yarbarah, the blood wine that was all the sustenance the de any options, Daemon sat across from his father and filled his own plate

"There’s been very little of interest in those piles of papers," Saetan said "Even with the preservation spells that were put on theible or the parchs--like the recipe for that sweet-cheese confection Well, the basic idea for it at any rate I had to fiddle with it a bit and embellished it after that"

Daemon chewed a mouthful of beef and sed carefully "Youin the kitchen on occasion"

"And you’re the only one who has the recipe?"

"Yes"

They stared at each other

Finally Dae that recipe?"

His father, the too-knowing bastard, just smiled

CHAPTER 4

Ebon ASKAVI

Aroom within the Keep held one of the thirteen Gates that connected the three Realms of Terreille, Kaeleer, and Hell On the Dark Altar stood a four-branched candelabra When the black candles were lit and the spell was invoked, a stone wall turned tothe assistant historian/librarian, Theran stepped out of that mist into a room that looked almost the same as the one he’d just left, but it felt different It felt darker

He had reached Kaeleer, the Shadow Realm He was really here

And ho out of the Coach that had brought him from the Keep to this place,Theran stared at the ray stone that rose up in front of him It sprawled over the land, and its towers speared the sky Its size intie and dark power that surrounded it was sufficient warning to any visitor that a s that lived behind those walls

"Is that an enclosed co of that much power if several hundred Blood had lived in a place for enerations There had been a few places "ruled" by covens in the Shalador reserves that had a similar feel Or so he’d been told Most of those places--and the strong witches who had lived in thees that had been ordered a few years ago by Dorothea’s pet Queens

"Like a village, you ht have been an effort not to laugh "No The village is that way" He pointed in the opposite direction "This here is a private drive until you reach the bridge After that, it becomes a public road to Halaway"

"Private" He was looking at a residence? That feeling of dark power came from one family?