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Hepsabah got to her feet, sold dress over her padded, well-curved body, and patted her coiled black hair "Well I should go and see that his rooh behind her hand "That’s a ainst his bedpost too much, dear You kno he hates the scent of a woman’s musk"
Hepsabah blinked, sed hard "I never," she sputtered indignantly, and instantly began to pout "It’s just not fair"
Dorothea tucked a stray hair back into Hepsabah’s elegant coils "When you start getting thoughts like that, dear, remember Cornelia"
Hepsabah’s brown skin turned gray "Yes," she murmured as Dorothea led her to the door "Yes, I’ll relided down the crowded sidewalk, his ground-eating stride never breaking as people around hi back in as he passed He didn’t see the voices With his hands in his trouser pockets, he glided through the crowds and the noise, unaware and uncaring
He was in Draega, Hayll’s capital city
He was hoa, never liked the tall stone buildings that shouldered against one another, blocking out the sun, never liked the concrete roads and the concrete sidewalks with the stunted, dusty trees growing out of circular patches of earth cut out of the concrete Oh, there were a thousand things to do here: theaters, -lived, arrogant, useless people needed to fill the eaIf he could be sure that two particular witches would lie crushed and buried in the rubble, he would tear the city apart without a second thought
He swung into the street, weaving his way between the carriages that ca halt, oblivious of their irate drivers One or two passengers thrust their heads through a sideto shout at him, but when they saw his face and realized who he was, they hastily pulled their heads back in, hoping he hadn’t noticed the, he’d been following a psychic thread that tugged him toward an unknown destination He wasn’t troubled by the pull Its chaotictold him as at the other end He didn’t knohy she was in Draega of all places, but her need to see hih to pull hie park in the center of the city, veered to the footpath leading to the southern end, and slowed his pace Here arass, with the street sounds e that spanned a trickling creek, hesitated for a ht-hand fork in the path that led farther into the park
Finally he carass A lacy iron bench filled the back of the oval A half-circle of lady’s tears for the bushes Two old, tall trees stood at either end of the oval, their branches intertwining high above, letting a dappling of sunlight reach the ground
The tugging stopped
Dae full circle He started to turn ahen a low giggle cale have?" a wohed and shook his head It was going to be riddles
"How ain
"Three," Daemon answered
The bushes parted Tersa shook the leaves froled black hair fro?"
Daeentle and amused "Apparently not"
"Give Tersa a kiss"
Resting his hands on her thin shoulders, Daehtly kissed her cheek He wondered when she’d eaten last but decided not to ask She seldo would only le have?"
Daele has three sides"
Tersa scowled "Stupid boy Give ht hand Tersa grasped the long, slender fingers with her own frail-looking sticks and turned his hand palan tracing three connecting lines on his palle has four sides, foolish boy Like the candelabra on a Dark Altar Relohite on his golden-brown palm "Father, brother, lover Father, brother, lover The father came first"
"He usually does," Daenored him "Father, brother, lover The lover is the father’sand looked up at him It was one of those times when Tersa’s eyes were clear and focused, yet she was looking at some place other than where her body stood "How le have?"
Daemon studied the three white lines on his palm "Three"
Tersa drew in her breath, exasperated
"Where’s the fourth side?" he asked quickly, hoping to avoid hearing the question again
Tersa snapped her thuether, then pressed the knife-sharp forefinger nail into the center of the triangle in Daemon’s palm Daemon hissed when her nail cut his skin He jerked his hand back, but her fingers held hirip that hurt
Daemon watched the blood well in the hollow of his palrip, Tersa slowly raised his hand toward his face The world became fuzzy, unfocused,Daeht, glistening blood