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Madelyne forced her eyes open

The acrid burn of candles, other shout her body assaulted her senses The taste of the last bitter, putrid liquid that had been forced down her throat still surged in her empty belly She couln&039;t keep back a moan, and was rewarded when her father&039;s face ca a shriek, she closed her eyes and turned away froe now implanted on her brain: empty eyes with tiny pinpoints of black in the center, a wide, grinning mouth, and a h that erupted froain, taken from her prone position on the table and re-strapped to the cold stone The rough edges of the blocks behind her chafed her bruised skin, and her ar in them She could barely keep her head raised, but with an effort she lifted it as Fantin&039;s laugh stopped abruptly

"What is it you say?" He turned and screamed at someone "That cannot be!"

Madelyne tried to focus and looked around the roo involuntarily She vaguely re of Gavin and her love for hiht to do with the pain in her bones, but the pain in her heart She ain

As she looked about the cha in disbelief Tricky? Dear Lord, how did Tricky coabout her

Fantin screaer, then, with one last glance at his prisoner, turned to rush fro behind him Tricky and Madelyne were alone and safe, for a tie

"Tricky!" Madelyne hissed

Herand slowly turned to look at her "Maddie," she whispered "Are you all right?"

"I am alive and thankful to be so," she returned "And you? How came you here?"

Tricky explained quickly, and then gestured to a dark corner "They have Clem over there I cannot tell if he is hurt He&039;s not moved since they hit him on the head"

"Can you move on that stool?" Every as an effort, but Madelyne forced them out For the first tiht be possible "Those shards froave out, the words would not comebut Tricky knehat she meant to say

"Aye" Tricky rocked on the stool, side to side, and ed to tip herself over She rolled on the floor and Madelyne could not tell if she was successful in grasping a piece of broken crockery Silence reigned but for the grunts and groans of exertion from her maid

The sound of voices and heavy footsteps down the stairs caused Madelyne&039;s attention to sharpen "Trickythey co, Tricky rolled herself back to where she&039;d been and struggled to right her stool The door flung open again, and Fantin and Tavis strode in, arguing

Their loud voices, angry and shrill, sent greater shivers up and down Madelyne&039;s spine Where was Seton? Was there aught he could do?

"There is no sign that Mal Verne has entered the keep-he is no where to be found" Tavis spoke in an urgent tone "You must concentrate on your work, Master Fantinyour time is so close!"

He flickered a look in Madelyne&039;s direction, then, as his gaze swept back, it was distracted by the sight of Tricky on the floor, still attached to her stool He trotted over, standing above her with his hands on his hips "And where are we going, my little coquette? Surely you do not wish to hly, he yanked her upright and reached to fondle her breasts "Ah, such sweet rewards await me!" With a lascivious smile, he turned back to Fantin

"Masterno one can enter this keep noithout our knowledge Mal Verne&039;s one ained entrance, but if there are others, they will be stopped by the extra guards we have posted Mal Vernetrial for attempted murder of the queen"