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As he took the box, his eyes asked the question

"I found the treasure," Cassidy said, her face gloith excite with so e" She took a step toward Gray, then turned back "You look like him, you know Jared You look like hied her to the surprise in the garden Talon had told him that a few times, but hoould Cassidy know?

"Gray, wait," Cassidy said Toooff hiry or excited

Maybe all of them Which meant her court would be equally upset by her unexpected absence

Assuave a damn

You’re tired, so you’re bitchy, she scolded herself "Gray, wait"

He stopped, but he looked like he was about to receive a crippling blow

"I’m parched Can I have some water before I see the surprise?"

"How did you knoas a surprise?"

Hell’s fire She wasn’t supposed to know that "Since I don’t knohat you want to show me, it must be a surprise"

As he rubbed a thu shifts from boy to man

"You’re not hurt?" he asked

"No, Gray, I’m not hurt I was up in the attic and lost track of time I didn’t mean to worry you"

"Scared me, Cassie That’s a lot more than worry"

"Yes, it is, and I’m sorry"

He shook his head "There were tooback Captured or killed Sometimes Talon found as left of theain "Dena Nehele isn’t a safe place yet It will be, soo off on your own and not leave a direction for someone to follow"

"I’ll reet you some water"

She drank her fill Then Gray worked the purime off her face and hands

He called in a small towel and handed it to her, and there was a question in his eyes that she couldn’t figure out

"Close your eyes," he said

When she obeyed, he put an ararden

"Open your eyes now"

She looked at the flower bed and thought, Horound," Gray said quietly "Not quite the same, but similar Not quite home, but it could be home--if you wanted to put down roots And if you don’t, if you can’t, maybe I could put down roots in Dharo"

It was her arden, and yet it wasn’t

Then what he said sank in all the way

"Dharo?" she asked, finally looking away from the flowers "You want to live in Dharo?"

"I want to be with you" He drew her into his arms

"Theran needs you," Cassidy said

"And I need you I know it’s not easy for you because your ways are so different froround there too Can’t we try, Cassie? Can’t we at least try?"

He kissed her slowly, deeply, as if she trulythat mattered

"Cassie?"

She looked into his eyes Not quite a er a boy She didn’t know if they had a future together, but she did love hiround of all?

"I’d like to try, Gray," she said, her eyes filling with tears "I really would like to try"

His alarhtful "Are those happy tears?"

She hugged him hard "Yes, these are happy tears" Then she stepped back, rubbed her face, and sarden"

Theran watched Gray kiss Cassidy, but that quickly felt intrusive, so he turned away and opened the box

"To the Heir of Grayhaven"

Under the wax-sealed paper was a Green Jewel that still held some of the psychic resonance of the woman who had worn it

And some of the power,Theran realized as he felt that power fade, its last task completed

The wax seal was so old, it cruh

To the Heir of Grayhaven,