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"Trust me," the man in the doorway said, "she read everyone the riot act If anyone had a probleot ait"

His silver eyes glinted with humor, and an obvious love for his wife Lyra had to ad couple As she passed him, he nodded at her

"I’m Ty MacGillivray I remember you too I’," he said, his voice touched with a lovely, lilting brogue

Great, ly Fueled by her fatigue, no doubt Still, she ed entranceith a wide staircase directly ahead Lily started toward the stairs

"You’ll be staying up here," she began, but Jaden’s voice, rough from the trip and his own stress, cut in

"I already told you, she’s staying with me I’ll take her up to my room"

Lily narrowed her eyes and turned around to address him She kept her voice reasonable, but Lyra could hear the irritation beneath

"And I thought I told you that Lyra can ive her a room If she wants to stay with you later on, that’s up to her She’s a big girl, Jaden"

It was interesting to hear herself argued over, but all Lyra really wanted was to get upstairs and fall into bed She ued with her when she spoke up

"I appreciate it, Lily, but I’d just as soon rooet some sleep And anyway," she muttered, embarrassed by Jaden’s obvious pleasure at her decision, "I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t"

That was as close as she was going to coht now, in case she started to fall apart and she couldn’t put herself back together It would be a lot better than si up in front of Lily and whoever else lived here

Lily’s expression was kind when she looked between Lyra and Jaden She nodded "Okay I understand coet you settled Obviously I’d like to hear about what’s going on, andforward, but that can happen whenever you’re ready"

Lyra nodded, grateful that Jaden had pegged Lily and Ty correctly--they wouldn’t press her At least not tonight

"I think," she said quietly, "I’ll be turning in, actually I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve barely slept But wakefor ive up on the faint hope that her father would change his o home

"We absolutely will," Lily said Lyra took soth, which seemed like a beacon in the miserable storm her life had beco," Jaden said, slipping his ars had gone wobbly and weak, and she wanted to make sure she actually made it up the stairs She didn’t want to lean on him--but it was hard not to when her body refused to have it any other way

Lily watched the two of theo up, and Ty came to stand beside her as they vanished around the corner and onto the second floor Jaden’s room was on the third level, where he preferred it, so Lyra would be well tucked away from the curious eyes of the rest of the Lilim and Cait Sith if she wished to be

Ty looked in the direction they had gone, and moved behind his wife to wrap his arms around her She leaned back into hith He rested his chin on the top of her head

"You’ve a good heart, Lily"

She gave a short, huh "For what it’s worth I don’t know if I’ to understand the way your world operates, Ty"

"Our world," Ty said gently "And the wolves are, in soid than our kind Some of that is the va Maybe they will too"

"They have a big, unpleasant change co the truth" Lily shook her head "The Ptole they touch"

"They didn’t destroy us Their ti too ht in the ass You’ll see"