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I pushed up onto hly of you"

"And well he should," Seretis said with a laugh "I pay hih to do so!"

"So, you and Mzatal h even as I said it, I daht of a bunch of lords getting together for poker night

S bricks, shook his head "Nothing so a me a wink "Some qaztahl matters And questions about you"

I rolled my eyes and sat up "I’m so popular!" Then I sobered "Mzatal told you what happened to estured to the three syraza sunning themselves on the roof of the palace "There are those who think you dangerous, Kara Gillian"

"Are you one of them?" I had to remind myself that simply because he seemed nice and had a sense of humor didn’t mean he wouldn’t prefer to see h his eyes were serious now "I could have been," he said, turning the brick over in his hands, "had Mzatal’s answers been different, and had you assessed differently than you do"

The sweat froze on my skin I kneould take only a flick of his hand for him to smash my skull with the brick I sed to work moisture back into ment?"

Seretis tilted his head and nodded slowly, regarding me with keen, hazel eyes "If he says it, I know it to be truth to the best of his knowledge It is in what he does not say," he offered with a shake of his head, "that his shrewd genius abides"

I nodded slowly, so away "I have no intention of destroying the world," I said, "for whatever that’s worth,"

"I know this," he said with quiet power "I truly do You carry a ‘danger’ that some would like to harness, and no," he said with a s the question before I asked it, "I as are used, destroyed, or contained," I told him "Are you content with how Mzatal intends to contain and use aze went to the pile of bricks at the bottom of the hill "I would rather hold--as Mzatal does--that you have the will, courage, and heart to contain yourself and to make use of your potential Should that prove not to be the case, then I would need to reassess"

I let out a low sigh "I guess we’ll find out"

Seretis looked back tothese up the hill"

I took it, weirdly relieved to have it out of his hand, even though I knew damn well there were a hundred other ways for hi it to me it seemed as if he relinquished my fate back over to " I told hiree"

He crouched "Aut clenched, and I made a sour face "You mean the Four Dickwads?"

Seretis let out a soft snort of amusement "The Four Mraztur"

"Sounds like a nasty word"

"There is no direct translation," he said, "but, in your vernacular, perhaps ‘aze penetrated ain, the air seemed to tremble around him "Every brick you carry, every tiainst them They do not rest in their purposes Dance the full shikvihr and you becoly "Mzatal believes you have the passion, resolve, and skill to do it"

My eyes went to the top of the coluh o," I murmured, then looked back to him "But I’ve been described as a tenacious bitch more than once"

He chuckled, then his smile softened "You would not have survived Rhyzkahl’s venoently "The Four seek you, and they seek Earth They believe you carried power in the form of Elinor’s essence and they seek to use you to advance their plans" He shook his head "You were ht they had"

I turned his words over in h I had a feeling I already knew the answer

"Whathis head "Connection Access Since the cataclysm, we know it is critical for stability and control of the arcane, as well as the vitality of the qaztahl" His sh Benevolent alliance is not what they seek"

I scowled "I’h I was fully aware those were big words for someone who could barely carry ten bricks up a hill