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"You have all been such a trial torateful, though: you assuaged rily at the prince of Avaric very far below The White Witch s All of six years old when I procured him--too old, really, to ever come completely to heel But that is why I loved hi It took er rose in Aeriel For a moment, it rivaled the warli Irrylath’s hair, co him ever so quietly, Yes, love You will Recklessly, Aeriel drew breath again to speak, but the other’s merciless eyes turned and fixed her like a hawk’s

"I will never forgive you for taking him from me," the White Witch breathed, "even for a little tiain Before I drink his soul away, he will beto you again," she gasped "He’s hed "He loves me And I him"

"You don’t," spat Aeriel "You only want to rule hi her prisoners came back to Aeriel She shuddered, sickened, and shoved the thought away "You and your kind don’t love anything I don’t think you can"

The Witch’s srew petulant, annoyed "I loved the Ancients once," sheI was capable of love then But they leftAeriel, Oriencor toyed with the low collar of her gown, stroking her own breastbone Slowly, Aeriel realized what it was she fingered: a little sea down, sewn up with silver, just like the one on Irrylath’s breast when he had been a darkangel Oriencor’s bloodless lips pursed fretfully

"It’s true," she mused "I can’t love I don’t have a heart of flesh anymore I took it out, after the Ancients deserted lanced over one shoulder Aeriel followed her gaze A crystal box rested in a niche across the roo"

Warily, Aeriel eyed the box Soh the colorless stone

Oriencor shrugged

"You ht upon her brow Aeriel felt an irresistible attraction drawing her to the box

Slowly, she crossed the room and touched the lid The crystal was bone chill: cold as the keep

"Don’t think you can harm it," the lorelei warned, still at the sill "I’d never let you near it, if you could do it any har just beginning to wake--but it subsided at once

She lifted the box’s lid and halted, frowning Nothing lay within the box but a layer of fine, dark grit

I in here," she said "Nothing but dust"

Scowling, Ravenna’s daughter bit her lip with one pointed tooth "Won’t you lie to flatter me, little sorceress?" she inquired "Aren’t you afraid of me yet?"

Aeriel turned to face her "I’m very much afraid of you," she answered No use to pretend otherwise

The Ancient’s daughter could read her with such ease Still biting her lip, the White Witch smiled

"So was Irrylath And he said the same"

Despite the other’s eyes upon her, Aeriel felt her own gaze, very gently, being directed once more to the fine sooty stuff in the bottom of the box, like ashes of the dead Wid&uuain She reached to touch the ash It was cool and clung together like barely da came into the back of Aeriel’s mind She tried to listen, but Oriencor’s muttered words drowned it out