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"Over the land?" Ethan asked

"The land, its use and control The population Possessions Love"

"There’s a feud," Ethan concluded

"There was a feud," Nessa said, her despair obvious "It had been so long--I thought we’d moved past it" She looked up at Ethan "I’ on I thought--"

"Do not trouble yourself with us," he said, shaking his head "Let’s focus on what’s happened"

She looked down at her hands, streaked with dark and drying blood, her nails stained with it, her fingers shaking "They’ve killed hi me They’ll come for me next"

Ethan’s body tensed at the hint of trouble to coned acceptance "We won’t let that happen"

It wasn’t clear she heard hiaze still on her stained hands "His blood This is his blood"

"Why don’t you wash up?" Ethan suggested "Call your Clan, let thee to the sheriff that you’re here He’ll want to question you"

He’ll want to know she didn’t run away in guilt, I thought

Nessa nodded, rose, and walked to the end of the rooh a doorway Aof a door and the sound of running water

I kept my voice quiet "Do you trust her?"

Ethan frowned "I have no reason not to trust her"

He’d told o that Nessa had been a friend of two Cadogan vainally from Kansas City They’d stayed in touch with her, and she’d visited theo

"I’ve known her for many years, Sentinel And while I’d say ere more acquaintances than close friends, I certainly don’t know anything that suggests she’d have killed her husband" He brushed fingertips across er"

I had no doubt of that And yet, here ere I looked through the s to the valley beyond, theacross the sky Ethan’s sense of honor and loyalty ly unlikely he’d abandon this woly fate at the hands of ato be a vacation, is it?"

"Ah, my Sentinel," he said, and pressed his lips to ht, wasn’t it? That’d we’d find peace in this beautiful country?"

It was a wonderful thought But at the second knock at the door--this one an oainst heavy wood--I realized how far away it was