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"I cannot do this," Aso

"You can, and you will," Asukaji said, taking her husband’s face in his hands "Ashia ive you the son I cannot Melan has thrown her dice If you take my sister now, it will be done One time, and the ordeal be over"

Realization was a slap in the face

It was no sin for h in the sharaj, boys for pillow friendships to pass the years before they were old and experienced enough for their first wife But Everaenerations, and so all but thewere eventually bound to h to produce a son Everam knew, Kajivah had said as ht she would be a push’ting bride

They entered a et back in the pillows, but herlovers She had neverto the into the world

They ignored Ashia, Asukaji undressing her husband and stiffening him with his mouth until he could do the deed He joined theether

His touch made Ashia’s skin crawl, but she took shallow breaths, and endured

Despite his words, there was jealousy in her brother’s eyes, his face darkening as Aso her As soon as the deed was done, Asukaji pulled theet she was even there

Ashia thought then about killing them both It would be simple They were so lost in each other she doubted they would notice until it was too late She could even make it seem an accident, as if the act had been too ht at his lover’s death, would have taken a knife to hiht her to do those things, so cleanly that the Deliverer hi the fantasy fully, not daring to move lest she make it reality She breathed, and eventually her center returned She rose fro robes back on, and left

Her husband and brother did not notice

CHAPTER 5

KAJIVAH

333 AR AUTUMN

Ashia looked up in shock as wardlight flooded the roo since sootten everything her ht?

Enkido would be ashamed of you, Micha said, and it was true How could she lead the Sharu when she could not even lead herself?

She turned to the doorway expecting to see Kajivah, but her heart sank farther at the sight of her husband Perhaps it was inevera that Asome should find her so, eyes puffed and wet, as ai’sharak He would tell her now, as so ive up her spear And perhaps he was right

"Tikka was having one of her fits" Aso it to her to dry her eyes "But I wore her doith patience, though Everahed, sniffing into the cloth

"Word of your exploits in the night has already reached the palace, jiwah," Asome said

Ashia looked at him weakly He knew Everam damn him, he already knew of her loss on control out beyond the Maze Would he have her stripped of her spear, now that the Deliverer was not there to stop hi and hard to keep her froai’sharak With Ashan on the Skull Throne, this was all they needed Even the Damajah could not stop them