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That decided hiently closed histi she would be fooled When he finally lifted his head and pressed his finger against the wound to heal it, he read doubt in her eyes Well, two could play that game

"Where have you been, witch-child?" he asked so gently that it was a whip-crack demand

The question effectively silenced her protest She gave hi to eat?"

Stalemate, as he’d known it would be

"Yes," he said dryly, "I think we can coed backward out of the chair and watched hile to his feet Without a word, she fetched the cane leaning against the blackwood desk and handed it to hirihtly around her shoulders, they left the study and the lower, rough-hewn corridors, traveled the upstairs labyrinth of hallways, and finally reached the double front doors He led her around the side of the Hall to the Sanctuary that held the Dark Altar

"There’s a Dark Altar next to the Hall?" Jaenelle asked as she looked around with interest

Saetan chuckled softly as he lit the four black candles in proper order "Actually, witch-child, the Hall is built next to the Altar"

Her eyes widened as the stonewall behind the Altar turned to mist "Ooohh," she whispered in a voice as close to awe as he’d ever heard fro that?"

"It’s a Gate," Saetan replied, puzzled

"A Gate?"

He pushed the words out "A Gate between the Realms"

"Ooohh"

Hisbetween the Realms for years now, he’d always assumed she kne to open the Gates If she didn’t even know there were Gates, how in the na into Kaeleer and Hell all this time?

He couldn’t ask He wouldn’t ask If he asked, she’d tell hile her

He held out his hand "Walk forward through the mist By the tih the Gate"

Once they were on the other side, he led her back around the side of the Hall and through the front doors

"Where are we?" Jaenelle asked as she studied the prislassabove the doors

"SaDiablo Hall," he replied mildly

Jaenelle turned slowly and shook her head "This isn’t the Hall"

"Oh, but it is, witch-child We just went through a Gate, remember? This is the Hall in the Shadow Realm We’re in Kaeleer"

"So there really is a Shadow Realm," she murmured as she opened a door and peered into the room

Certain she hadn’t meant for him to hear that, he didn’t answer He si, unanswered questions that shrouded his fair-haired Lady But it made him doubly relieved that he’d decided to introduce her to the Hall in Kaeleer

Even before her long disappearance, he’d wanted to wean her away from Hell He knew she would still visit Char and the rest of the cildru dyathe, would visit Titian, but Hekatah was too roup of dened to distract hi sies filled hie Every day he kept Jaenelle away from Hekatah was one more day of safety for them all

Jaenelle finished her peek at the rooreat hall and skipped back to hi "It’s wonderful, Saetan"

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head "And so all these corridors is a kitchen and an excellent cook named Mrs Beale"

They both looked up at the click-dick of shoes co purposefully toward thereat hall Saetan s that distinctive click-click Helene, co to see exactly as in "her" house He started to tell Jaenelle as co, but he was too stunned to speak

Her face was the coldest, smoothest, most malevolent mask he had ever seen Her sapphire eyes were maelstro ring as it would have with any other witch whose te to whoever approached No, it was pulling inward, spiraling doard to her core, where she would then turn it outward, with devastating results She was turning cold, cold, cold, and he was helpless to stop her, helpless to bridge the distance that was suddenly, inexplicably, between them She twitched her shoulders frorace that would have lide in front of hireat hall at any moment--and die He suth Everything was going to ride on one word

He thrust out his right hand, the Black Jewel ablaze, stopping Jaenelle’svoice

Jaenelle looked at him He shivered but kept his hand steady "When Protocol is being observed and a Warlord Prince raciously yields to his request unless she’s no longer willing to have hi who serves us at the Hall I ask permission to introduce you to the housekeeper, ill do her utmost to serve you well I ask that you acco to eat"

He had never taught her about Protocol, about the subtle checks and balances of power a the Blood He had assu and observation He’d thought he would have time to teach her the fine points of interaction between Queens and dark-Jeweled males Noas the only leash he had If she failed to answer"Please, witch-child," he whispered just as Helene entered the great hall and stopped