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She took a seat, waiting for Rojer to join her "Not a sound will pass through the circle We can screa twenty feet away Nohat’s so secret you couldn’t even whisper it in an empty room?"

Rojer blew out a breath "I think Rhinebeck and his brothers tried to kill Thaht"

Leesha blinked "You think?"

"It was a … passive atteroup had held their fire when the battle see when victory seemed assured "They didn’t try to hurt him themselves, but from where I stood, they seemed content to let the demons do the job for them"

"There must be some other explanation," Leesha said "Perhaps there was a problem with their weapons"

"All of them?" Rojer asked "At the same time?"

Leesha huffed It did seem unlikely "But he’s their brother, and far removed from the throne Why would they want him dead?"

"Not so far as all that," Rojer said "The royal fa froo If the duke dies without an heir, neither Mickael nor Pether will hold the throne without bloodshed, especially with the Milnese buying up allies throughout the city"

"And you think it will be different for Thamos?" Leesha asked

"Thaer and better trained than his elder brother’s At the rate the Hollow’s growing, it iers and Miln co to his name Rhinebeck was too petty to even let his brother claim his own rockbird kill How do you think he felt when Thamos shamed him in front of the other men?"

Leesha felt a stab of pain and looked down She kept her nails short so they would not interfere in her work, but they were still enough to dig into her skin when she clenched her fists tightly enough She forced herself to relax "Have you spoken of this to anyone else?"

Rojer shook his head "Who would I tell? I don’t think Thamos would believestupid," Leesha agreed

"There’s already been stupid to spare," Rojer said "I haven’t told you all"

"Those idiots!" Araine clenched her fists, pacing with the strength and speed of ato do?" Leesha asked, when the old woman final slowed

"What can I do?" Araine deleur’s word, and Rhinebeck is duke Once he sets hishe can be stubborn as a rock demon, and I don’t have the power to overrule him"

"But you’re his mother," Leesha said "Can’t you …"

Araine raised an eyebrow "Use ic mother powers? How often do you listen to yours?"

"Not often," Leesha adret it when I do But Thairl," Araine cut her off, "I’uilt and wile in et my sons to alter course, but this … this is pride, and no an to pace again, but it was slow, stately She reached up, stroking her wrinkled chin "He probably thinks himself quite clever If Thamos is killed, he has one less rival If Thamos succeeds and makes contact with the Laktonians, he can take credit for the whole thing" She snorted "It’s the closest Rhinebeck’s ever coe"

She turned to look at Leesha, and smiled "But just because we can’t stop it doesn’t ainst him"