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There was never any doubt about that "I’ll report back the minute I talk to her"

"If she is the one--report sooner"

Or else, her tone iht not to use the vid-phone "Fine"

"Make sure you talk to the owner, not the e of a on that I didn’t understand But I didn’t bother questioning her because she had already hung up

I tossed the phone onto the vanity, then had a quick shower Once dressed, I headed into Tao’s room And noted, with some annoyance, that Azriel had yet to make his appearance Apparently, when reapers were in a snit, they did it properly

Ilianna was asleep on the chair next to Tao’s bed, but started ahen I walked in I griy away, then rubbed at her neck as she sat upright "I’ve got to be up, anyway I proht’s date"

I raised ?"

She frowned "I told you I was"

"Yeah, but I figured last-ht step in and stop you"

She shook her head "There’s no avoiding it Mirri’s right" She hesitated "Besides, he and I are destined to be, so I have to be honest with him"

"Destined?"

She wrinkled her nose "It’s just soo"

I frowned "Just because you foresaw this union happening doesn’t s for Mirri--"

She smiled "It won’t You should know me better than that"

"Then why all this ‘destined to be’ shit? Howon you?"

"Lots, but I can understand his reasons--a union with Carwyn has financial advantages for both families"

"So what? What you and Mirri have iselse"

"We may be in love, but we are also mares It is a fact of life that mares end up in the herd of a stallion, whether we like it or not"

"Well, that sucks"

"Yeah, totally" She gave me a somean smile "Trust me, I’ve done my best to avoid the whole situation, but the reality is, I have little choice If I reject Carwyn, it’ll be so and patient than he seeave her a quick hug "I’ out"

"And hopefully that so will be artificial inse to bed with the est that? What have you got to lose?"

She snorted "Um, have I mentioned he’s a stallion?"

"I’ with their brain rather than their dicks"

"I wouldn’t be betting on that," Tao muttered, his voice hoarse but nevertheless lared at us "And don’t you two know it’s not polite to be talking about sex when a rinned "A olf co about sex I think the world just ended"

"I think it did for a while there" He closed his eyes and scrubbed a hand across his bristly jaw "I’htly "Don’t be sorry Just be daain"

"And how the fuck aer, frustration, and fear "This da--"

"And so are you," she snapped back "Or you would be, if you da so sorry for yourself and started taking the offense"

He glared at her "It’s not like I’ the elemental an open invitation--"

"Isn’t it?" she snapped "Then why the hell aren’t you looking after yourself? Why aren’t you eating? You were told at the Brindle that youboth physically andcontained"

"I’et serious about it, Tao, or this thing in"

He snorted "So you’ve seen that? Then what the hell is the point?"