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It took him a moment to admit it to himself, but he was miffed He stood in front of her, on display as it were, and the thing that fascinated her most was his hat

You do kno to bruise a ht dryly as he said, "Would you like to try it on?"

Jaenelle bounced to the ainst him as she passed

The sudden heat, the jolt of pleasure, the intense desire to hold her against him shocked him sufficiently to make him jump out of her way His hands shook as he placed the hat on her head, but aas the hat rested on the tip of her nose and the only part of her face he could see was her chin

"You’ll have to grow into it, Lady," he said war Craft, he positioned the hat above her head and locked it on the air

He instantly regretted it

She was going to be devastating, he realized as he stared at the face looking at his reflection, his nails biting into his palms

In that moment he saw the face she would wear in a few years when the pointed features were finally balanced out The eyebrows and eyelashes Were they a soot-darkened gold or a gold-dusted black? The eyes, no longer hiding behind childish pretenses, summoned him down a darker road than he had ever known existed, one he felt desperate to follow

For the first tis He closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and dug his nails deeper into his palms

No, he pleaded silently Not now Not yet He couldn’t, mustn’t respond yet No one must know he could respond They were lost, both of the Please, please, please

"Daemon?"

Daemon opened his eyes Jaenelle the child watched him, her forehead puckered in concern He smiled shakily as he slowly unclenched his hands and took the hat

"Leland’s guests will be arriving any time now and I still have to dress, so scat"

There was soe about the way she looked at hione, and he slu at the open trunk After a minute, he took off the shirt, pants, and boots and returned them and the hat to the trunk He vanished both private trunks, taking the ti in for attire

The painted face and the earring would have to do for Leland The clothes in that trunk would be worn for only one woman’s pleasure

5--Terreille

Dae thatto the hard, cold rain beat against the s Shivering, he tossed back the covers, pulled on his robe, and pushed open the curtains to look outside

Only the rain And yet

Taking a deep; steadying breath, he began a slow descent into the abyss, testing each rank of the Jewels, waiting for the answering quiver along his nerves

Above the Red, nothing The Red, nothing The Gray, the Ebon-gray Nothing He reached the level of the Black and pain flooded his nerves as an eerie keening filled his er, pain, and sorrow The voice that sang it was pure and strong--and familiar

Daelass as he ascended to the Red No one else here would be able to hear it No one else would know

He’d known since he met her that she was Witch--and Witch wore the Black Jewels He’d known, but he’d been able to deceive hi she’d wear the Black athistory, only a handful of witches had worn the Black, and they had been gifted with it after the Offering to the Darkness No one had ever worn the Black as their Birthright

It had been a foolish deceit, especially when the evidence was right in front of his the rest of the Blood had never dreah Lord of Hell to be herand terrifying

Birthright Black She wore Birthright Black Sweet Darkness, ould beco?