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Alexandra’s eyes widened in surprise, and for the first time her face reflected an uneasy concern "You have been bewitched by this human," she snarled "I tried only to save you You’ll understand one day, and you’ll thank

Alexandra jerked her hand in a nervous gesture, as if waving away his anger "I am your sister, Raphael Your blood You cannot choose a human, even this one, over your own blood You love ently, "I loved a child named Sasha" His voice hardened "You I don’t even know" He gestured and Juro stepped up to Alexandra, hisaround her ar to pull away "Raphael!" she cried "You can’t do this! I’lanced at her Her pleas were cut off ainst his co but wordless sobs of disbelief as Juro and his brother carried her away between theing open in shock, her expression htly touched by relief as Alexandra was escorted from the room

"Mirabelle" Her head swiveled around when Raphael spoke her naain

"I know that, child I never suspected you Go now Elizabeth has been asking for you"

Mirabelle scrambled to her feet and bowed quickly "Thank you, aze skittered quickly over to Cyn and away before she hurried fro the door behind hi them alone

Cyn circled around the desk to Raphael, and he reached out autoainst his broad chest and asked, "What will you do?"

"The Council has called ato deal with Jabril’s empty territory," Raphael responded wearily "Most likely they’ll throw it open to anyone who can hold it None of Jabril’s ht--no one ants it, anyway And besides, there are reater power in the territories This will release some of that pressure"

"That’s not what I--" she started to say, but the look in his eyes told her he didn’t intend to give her any other answer She stared back at him, uncertain how she felt about that

"I a

"That’s not good enough," she told him "I won’t let you hide behind that inscrutable va to do with Alexandra"

Raphael regarded her out of flat black eyes "You nearly died"

"I’m aware of that And if I had died out there in the desert, host would have haunted you mercilessly until you destroyed every one of the ht smile "But I didn’t die, Raphael"

"She intended you to die Or worse Far worse"

Cyn frowned up at him "Is this really about ht More than ave an ih and pulled away He would have walked away fro him in place "Don’t kill her, Raphael You’ll never forgive yourself You’ll never forgive me"

His eyes flashed to meet hers

"This is the wo to her every whim, for how many centuries, Raphael? You hired me to find her when your enemies took her froe Don’t tell me you have no love for her, even if it’s only love for the child she used to be Her death will hang over you, over us, like a cancer, eating away at everything we are until every ti but her death" She stepped closer to hiainst his chest "I can’t live that way, Raphael I won’t I love you too much"

He looked away from her, but before his eyes left her face, she saw a brief flash of relief in their obsidian depths She felt hih, felt his entire body relax beneath her hands

"Very well, lubimaya I will spare her But she will knoas you she owes for her life"

Cyn shrugged "I hope she chokes on it Believe me, I have no love for Alexandra"

He s he expected and it pleased hi her fir of chaining you to ainst her hair "I’one"

She snorted "You can try"

He swept her up and into his arms "I can do better than try, lubimaya There are many kinds of chains"

"Kinky," she commented "Do your best, Lord Raphael"

"With you, ue

"Buffalo?" Cyn repeated in disbelief

"I know," Sarah agreed ruefully "But it’s a good university, and the job’s tenure track Plus, it’s not in California, and you knoant out of here"