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She shook her head "You can’t go They’ll keep you locked in the palace until the child is born"

"I don’t see what choice I have," Leesha said

"You’re too ill to travel," Jizell said

"I fainted froo," Leesha said "I’ed "I’m your Gatherer, and I say otherwise Sendyou can do for the duke that I can’t"

Leesha shook her head "It’s not just a matter of skill It’s one of access Rhinebeck won’t even admit he has a probleht at court If I need to operate, a Royal Gatherer and potentialtrusted to put the duke under the knife" She left unsaid that Jizell had consulted her on complicated fertility matters far more often than the reverse

Jizell raised an eyebrow "You’ll be lucky if the count keeps you on as his Royal Gatherer,the inside of her ht fro her "Ay, but Araine may not know yet that the child isn’t his In any event, she’s canny enough to keep that secret until she has what she needs from me"

I hope

"I’iers by the duke himself"

"But mistress, the blacksteirl’s eyes orrisoet back, honest word," Leesha said

"But the others get to keep their weapons when you go," Stela protested "They can still fight It’s the rest of us that have to go back to being nothing"

"You’re hardly nothing, Stela," Leesha said, but the girl wasn’t listening Stela shifted fro at the blackstem wards on her skin She stood in the shadoay froer, but even the aic from her

The others whose skin Leesha had warded werein plain robes,wide sleeves and deep hoods, shading the wards froht Many would hide in darkened cellars and barns during the day, stealing a few hours of fitful sleep rather than go back to ht when she could, but she couldn’t be everywhere

There were other problems with the blackstem-warded children as well Doument with the normally passive Stela where she had punched her fist down on a heavy table, cracking it in half Ella Cutter had struck her boyfriend when she caught hiht have been justified in protecting his mother from his abusive father, but he had nearly killed the man Leesha had been forced to use precious hora just to save his life, and even noas unclear if he would ever walk again

Perhaps it was best to let the truly terrible happened

"Can I couard on your trip north?"

Leesha shook her head "Thank you, child, but I will have an escort of Cutters and Wooden Soldiers as well as Wonda to see to an

"No," Leesha said firmly "We don’t knohat that would do to you"

"Course we do!" Stela snapped "I’d be like Renna Bales, who held back the demons when the Deliverer fell"

"Absolutely not," Leesha said Stela clenched a fist, and Leeshapowder in her apron