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"Who are they?"

"Okay, so there’s two other Councils; one is et control of the Sets, be the new Set leaders, and the other six are Lilithians, who are Lords of the lands our people live on"

"Like vassals and fiefs and all that stuff?" I sat up straight, turning in hed "Exactly like that Actually, Arthur was the Lord of Loslilian--back when David was human"

"Really? But wasn’t he a Set leader?"

"Yeah His Set resided here for that period--in the houses you’ll see over those hills in a minute" He nodded out his"Anyway, do you understand s now?"

"Yep You just condensed Morgaine’s eight-week speech into eight et all that now"

"Well, I’ve always had a ords"

"Yeah, you’d reat teacher"

Mike nodded to hiht "But I make a better Security Chief"

I nodded and looked out at the seely state-wide expanse of fields "So, how much land do n out here?"

The Chief rattled off a bunch of nu my concentration waver, said, "You can fit four or five suburbs on our land And n the beach, too No one can access it without approval--well, no huo down there as they please"

"What’s the sand like? Is it white and smooth, like Perth, or is it covered in shells and sea-weed?"

Mike hesitated "It’s white Smooth But I don’t want you down there"

"Why?"

"Because it’s a dangerous beach, Ara It’s a narrow strip of sand, caged in by two et thrashed by ferocious waves It’s private and secluded and you have to go down a really steep set of stone stairs to get to it"

"So?"

"So, it’s dangerous," his voice becaet swept out to sea if you’re not careful--or bashed against rocks"

"Are you saying I’m too weak to swio down there…" When you’re around

"Thank you" He exhaled "Look, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I promised David I’d take care of you"

"It’s fine, Mike" I reached across and tapped his knee, then drew et to see the et there?" I sat a little taller

"Yep, just watch over that rise" He nodded out his side"We’ll co, but you’ll get a gli other than aabout?"

"Yeah," Mike said "We’ve just had the Lilithians back in there this week"

"What about the vampires who lived there?"

"Unless they’re faithful to the new queen, they’ve been evicted"

Soht

"Ara, the Lilithians we’re round in cells for hundreds of years--working as slaves Their only food has been the vampires that were sent to Loslilian for torture and--"

"Really?"

"Yes So, don’t feel sorry for the vampires They never felt sorry when they marched in and ripped human children from their adoptive Lilithian mothers, then burned theht"

I covered my mouth "They had children?"

"We were a nation of very human creatures, Ara Lilithians lived for their families, for the love of life"

"Will they be allowed to start faain--adopt children?"

"No"

"Why?"

"Because the Upper House disapproves"

"Why?"

"Because they do" He huffed, re-gripping the steering wheel "Look, no discussing politics outside Council ht?"

"Why?"

"Ara Just…just shut up for a bit I’ my head in"

"Fine" I sunk back in rand crea crept over the hill "Whoa"

"Told ya it’s big" Mike’s tone had coh"

"Three," he said in short "But each level has high ceilings, so I guess it would equate to the height of a six storey"

"It looks like a castle fronificent glow of thethe centre of the large, see

"Yeah, it has an undeniable chare as a forest sed the day around us, but the wares, s on every wall, stayed inpath, further and further away fro to like it here"

"I know you will" Mike s the turns in the road as if he’d lived here his whole life

"I can see why you like it"

His smile widened "This has been the best fewEhts ready for your arrival"

"Is E this weekend?"

"No"

"I wish David could visit"

"I know"

"He won’t talk to me, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"He was really mad at me"

"No He was mad, Ara, but you know it’s not really you he’s mad at, don’t you?"