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She couldn’t suppress the shiver and slight jerk to her hand Kohana let her go, as if he thought he’d startled her She wanted to apologize, but then decided she was just too tired to do it She settled for a nod and slid out of the Jeep Her boots hit the ground and her knees buckled Fortunately Thoht her elbow

"When was the last time she slept?" Kohana o," Thoave her a squeeze about the shoulders to include her "The Master of the house wants her fed and put to bed, and kept there a good eight hours"

"We’ll see to it" Churuff teasing of Kohana, they exchanged a look, in obvious accord "I’ll help her to her roo her so, but her wishes didn’t seem to matter She was so used to that, she let herself be shepherded into the house, Tho her around the waist and Chu up the rear

She didn’t reot to the top of the stairs, the light-headedness had taken over and she slu her the ood idea

"I’m okay," she tried to say, mortified to be the center of attention She was a servant; she took care of others But they didn’t hear her, because Chu to be carried by a wo her to a bed and oblivion It was a place she shouldn’t want to go, but her spirit was racing ahead, eager to take her there

For just a while, she wanted to leave behind everything she knew she still had to face--including one iht her children were better off dead

4

"WOULD you like to explain what the hell you’ve gotten odforsaken island to teach you so on Danny’s side of the world, but he’d inforet their Mistress’s ass out of bed to answer the da her out of it Therefore, when he heard her not entirely empty threat, delivered in a mix of Aussie and Brit temper, it helped hi chain, and while she didn’t go out of her way to e his luck thisAfter all, his present situation was the result of hiiven his current fraht when this was over, she’d owe hi about her"

"Yes, I did I assumed you would know that soes Oh, I forgot You’re male and need it spelled out with a bloody crayon"

He winced Yep, he’d chosen the wrong tack Soet how to play nice with others He bit back a sigh "I apologize, my lady It has been anunexpected few hours My manners aren’t what they should be"

She was silent; then he heard a y accepted Perhaps I could have prepared you better, but I wanted you to form your own impressions and see if they match my own So tell me what they are so far"

"First, let’s be sure we’re still on the sae, because I’s, see if they have anyin our world If not, I have the discretion to give thehtened his lips at the short answer She knew there was more to it, damn it, but she wanted to see if he’d seen it A blind irl’s life depends on theirs"

"She’s not marked by them There’s no chance"

"Lady Danny" Danny didn’t particularly care for honorifics between the yourself out of senti me to see if I’m as clever as you remember?"

"You have the discretion to send her hoer necessary"

"Hedging, my lady I’d have been happy to turn her pretty ‘arse,’ as you call it, right back onto that plane But she wants to stay, and she’s being fairly insistent about it"