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Ice stepped forward "Bram--"

"Shut up," he snapped "Does she know the truth?"

Foreboding slithered up Sabelle’s spine

Ice hesitated, resignation stealing across his face "What purpose would telling her serve?"

"Tellingbefore you both!"

Neither wizard spoke for a long lared at each other with equal hed

"Mathias killed my sister, Gailene, when she was but seventeen He kept her for days, under the haze of Terriforz, before he tired of her and gave her to the Anarki They delivered her shaved and branded body back toher face How had she not known this? Hoas it possible that no one had told her? Her heart went out to hirief was visible

"I was a new Councilman at the time," Bram provided "Ice and I had been friends prior to Gailene’s death"

Friends? Willingly spending time in each other’s company?

"I the Council," Ice said quietly "I was still in school Braned mentor"

"And you were friends?" How, then, had they becoreen eyes sole he could find me justice"

"No," Bram corrected "You wanted me to use my influence on the Council to nominate you for the seat MacKinnett eventually occupied, so you could avenge your sister"

The idea was both idealistic and absurd A Deprived on the Council? That hadn’t happened in nearly half a ht have the influence to make that happen But when he had been a new Counciluess what had happened next

She turned to Ice "Braritted his teeth, then nodded, so taut she wondered if his jaould shatter "Yes"

"After trying to userefused, he grew bitter" Bralare "He said he hoped that so a sister"

So he’d Called to her and tried to convince to Bind to him before she could talk to Bram, tried to separate her from her brother? oh God Sabelle felt her lie of the bed to steady her shaky knees, her mind turned over and over Please don’t let it be true

"Is it true?" Her voice shook, and she knew her expression pleaded with Ice to refute the claim

"Yes"

Sabelle’s stomach plummeted to her knees Ice ad, while inside, her heart was cruo, princess This is now, and I love you"

He’d said so before But did he … truly?

"I can’t hear this tripe," Bram moaned "Do you expect her to believe you? When she kno much you hate me and why?"

Sabelle still wanted to believe Ice His stare locked on hers was steady, devoted, al She bit her lip, turned her back on theive him another ly deeds"

True Ice hoping that Bram someday understood what it was like to lose his sister stuck with her But maybe … he didn’t have all the facts

"Ice saved me from the Anarki," she explained "The day after we found MacKinnett’s body, the Anarki attacked us He hid me--you, too, while you were unconscious--and he faced a small ar my help Had he wanted you to lose a sister, he could have turned me over to Mathias’s minions then and there"

"Indeed?" Bram hardly sounded impressed "Then what happened?"

"He killedplace to help Ice was captured trying to protect me He nearly died for me"

Her brother shot Ice a contemptuous stare "A pity he didn’t"

"Bram!" she shrieked, appalled

Never had she seen hirown up with, seen as her savior like a white knight of old? Suddenly, the blinders were off, and what she saw … He was like a stranger

"Don’t applaud hi himself to the Anarki Did you think he did so just to save you?" Braued

"Yes, and he also ot exactly what he wanted: the Anarki would take hiht have the opportunity to kill Mathias himself Don’t delude yourself, Sabelle He didn’t do it for you Thisfor the opportunity to take Mathias apart, limb by limb, in the most painful way possible, even sacrifice you, ainst me" Bram stared over her shoulder at the other wizard "Ice isn’t the sort to condone the death of innocent women, but there’s more than one way for hi, his stare just drilling back at her brother Sabelle’s mind raced as she tried to unravel his words "What are you saying?"

"Dig deeper for hisht" Bram shook this head, then faced her "Decide whether you want to stake your entire future on his words, little sister Because if you refuse to er be my kin You’ll leave me no choice but to disclaim you Because I won’t stand by and watch you put yourself forever in the grip of a madman with a vendetta, determined to hunt a homicidal tyrant whatever the cost You will end up impoverished and mateless Think on that before you decide"