Page 57 (1/2)

"The Warlord going to his friend had caused problems for the Lady--the kind of proble to another Province where her previous activities wouldn’t be co actress and purchased an illusion spell froood friend’

"The Warlord was going to ht Cererant paternity, assuring his rights to his daughter, but his formal return as husband and father would come after the Ceree arrived with the second shirt and a note that was skillfully written and indicated that the Warlord had been leaving his wife’s bed and going straight to his lover’s for some real pleasure instead of duty sex

"The words were meant to cripple a woman’s pride and kill a piece of her heart In that, they succeeded

"That afternoon, the Warlord watched his little girl be gifted with her Birthright Jewel, and he waited for the last part of that cereive him back what he’d learned he held dear

"Then his wife looked at him and said three words:‘Paternity is denied’ "

Saetan closed his eyes "There are moments in a man’s life when a decision isit" When he opened his eyes, they were no longer blank They were filled with a terrible, and growing, grief

"The shock The pain," Saetan said "You don’t knohat it feels like to hear those words"

"It’s a stupid law," Dae the nature of Blood ood reasons for that law That was true when that irrevocable custoan, and it’s still true That law protects more than it harms But it stillhurts"

"What happened to the Warlord?" Daemon asked

"He backed away He saw the shock on the faces of friends and family--people who had been aware of the reconciliation He didn’t knohat happened, but he knew so

"So he backed away, but when he turned, she was standing there And she laughed at hihed at his pain and his loss--and so inside him broke

"He didn’t re inside hi in theactress who had been hired to wear an enemy’s face as a prank, was dead So was the Warlord’s closest friend, two of his cousinsand his daughter

"When he saw his little girlIn that moment when he wondered, he dropped his shields, deliberately, and the blasts of power fro to defend friends and faht," Dae that it was the crust holding back soe--and no memory of who had fallen by his hand," Saetan said "And the feeling, the fear, that he had killed his little girl"

"Did he?"

Saetan finally looked up, finally looked hie within that gentle s to reach hi to protect hi his eyes and blinked them away

"His blast of power took half her face Part of her shoulder," Saetan said too gently "He made the transition to deed for an audience Then he begged ive hi more than a whisper in the Darkness"

Daeht occurred to hiirl became cildru dyathe, didn’t she?"

"Yes, she did But she didn’t stay long When I found her, I told her that her father loved her, and that he was very sorry she had gotten hurt, and if he could take that moment back and do it over, he would have walked away For her sake To keep her safe from as inside him"

"Father"

"It could have been you, Daeold eyes glazed with madness and took a step back

Pain Shock A e eclipsed all ability to think

Manny’s words, when she finally told him about his father

So he left Went to that house you keep visiting, the house you and your mother lived in, and destroyed the study Tore the books apart, shredded the curtains, broke every piece of furniture in the rooe out When I finally dared open the door, he was kneeling in the et some air, a crazy look in his eyes