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He didn’t think Shira would tell hily--mostly because he was certain Yaslana wouldn’t have let Theran live if the harm the boy had done to Cassidy had been physical

"I heard Yaslana dumped a couple buckets of water on you," Talon said "Not exactly a courteous thing to do"

Cassidy looked at hi an explanation of what had ridden her so hard she hadn’t noticed the da to herself "Oh Well That’s Lucivar He used to do that to everyone When he was annoyed with his sister, he used to toss her into the pond, and she was the Queen he served"

"How did you get to know someone like Yaslana?"

"My cousin Aaron served in the Dark Court’s First Circle, and Lucivar was the First Escort Before the court forive some people an opportunity to ith darker-Jeweled witches and Warlord Princes and to study Protocol with the High Lord"

Talon’s jaw dropped "You learned Protocol fro in Protocol starts after a child’s Birthright Cereh Lord’s lessons werewith darker-Jeweledhad contact with the de to deal with Lucivar was an experience a Queen should have at least once"

So Sadi’s wife had been there too

"Where was this dark court located?"

Cassidy looked puzzled "Where?"

"Seemed like there was at least one court in every Territory that was referring to itself as a dark court," Talon said "I was just wondering where the one you mentioned was located"

"In Kaeleer, there was only one that was referred to as the Dark Court," Cassidy said slowly "That was the court at Ebon Askavi"

Mother Night

"With that kind of credentials, why doesn’t Sadi’s wife have a court?" Talon asked, but he wasan answer

"After she recovered from her injuries, she didn’t want to rule anylad she survived, they didn’t care if there was an official court"

"She was injured?"

"Two years ago It was several months before anyone knew for sure that she survived, and several o Two years ago

"She got caught in that storm of power the Kaeleer army unleashed?"

Cassidy frowned at him "There wasn’t an arth and cleansed all three Realh Priestess"

Talon swayed He had felt that pohen it screao Had felt the bite of it before it let hio, passed him by

One witch had unleashed that much power? One?

He stared at Cassidy

"Didn’t Theran tell you?" Cassidy asked

"Tell me what?"

"Before she was injured, Jaenelle was the Queen of Ebon Askavi"

Theran paced the length of the largerlooks at Ranon every time he passed that end of the table

"You’re sure Talon said to ave hiive him an hour, and then he wanted to ot delayed"

By what? Theran wondered

When Talon walked in a few , because he’d never seen the olderfool," Talon said, heading right for hirabbed Theran by the shirt and shook hi on the ," Theran snapped

"You want to think for a ain?" Talon roared

"I didn’t Do Anything"

"You forgot a few details, boy The kind of details that could destroy all of us--and Dena Nehele as well"

"What details?"

"Connections,Theran Connections"

Talon sagged suddenly, and that was er

"I’m just as h Didn’t think to ask until it was shoved in my face that I hadn’t asked"