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"Both of us right in one night, and Da not here to witness," Leesha said

"He’ll never believe it," Elona agreed She dabbed at her eyes with a kerchief, and Leesha pretended not to notice

"So was that the same Marick you used to shine on?" Elona asked "The one you ran off to Angiers with?"

"I never shined on him, Mother," Leesha said

Elona scoffed "Sell that tampweed tale to someone who doesn’t know you The whole town knew you wanted him, even if you were too prudish to act on it And why not? He’s handsoh for any woman Why do you think he used tomade Gared jealous, Mum," Leesha said

Elona nodded "He’s just like his father: simple men, ruled by their passions" She s of Steave, her first love, who had died the year previous when flux took Cutter’s Hollow and the wards failed

"The Marick I sae were alone on the road wasn’t much different," Leesha said

"And you used Gatherer’s tricks to keep hi it as the perfect opportunity to have a roh; Leesha had secretly drugged Marick into ie of her on the road

"Like you would have?" Leesha asked, unable to keep the bite from her tone

"Yes," Elona said, "and why not? Skirts lift up for a reason Women have needs down below, just as men Don’t lie to yourself and pretend otherwise"

"I know that, Mureed, "and yet still you sew your petticoats shut, and think denying yourself somehow makes you heroic How can you treat every body in the Hollohen you don’t understand the needs of your own?"

Leesha said nothing Her hts

"You should go up and talk to Marick while your other suitors are out of town," Elona said "He’s had years and tragedy to season hi his praises Perhaps he’ll benow"

"I don’t know…" Leesha said

"Oh, go on!" Elona said "Take a plate of food up to his room and talk to hiht" She sh if you did, it’d be a better use of your night than fretting over problehed despite herself, and hugged her hter; bodies, alone and in groups, torn apart by corelings when night fell upon thehts, spurring Twilight Dancer on harder, not bothering to stop after the first The others who followed him, even Gared and the Cutters, were inexperienced riders falling well behind his powerful stallion, but he didn’t care There were refugees on the road, driven out of their hoh to call friend, and he needed to find and protect as ht fell

But he would hold Jardir to account for every life lost Corespawn hiht hiees The sky ith color as the sun set, but the folk were still working on their wards They had painted the ical symbols on wooden boards, but the area they needed to secure was irregularly shaped, and the net was out of align Twilight Dancer up short and leaping doith his warding kit People cried out at the sight of hi their wards