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"Valena" Mr Rosonia exhaled heavily "She is one of the Dravilec then?"

"You had your suspicions?" Syracen asked

Valena’s father hter is needed by her people"

"You want to take her?" The

Syracen smiled "She will be well cared for at the palace And you ht by the Royal Dravilec how to use her power She is strong I could taste her energy fro"

The Rosonia’s stood in silence for aone another with their eyes Finally, Valena’s father turned to Syracen and nodded "You e My parents had died rather than seebeast of a irl shrieked and grabbed Valena to her, refusing to let her go Valena screa on Mr Rosonia ed to wrench Valena free He let his wife take her upstairs She returned quickly, Valena dressed snug and wared her, quiet tears rolling down her cheeks as her daughter clung to her Her husband cahter who sobbed in a ball on the ground He kissed Valena’s cheeks, choking back his own tears, promised he would see her soon and handed her into the ar what only children could, she began shrieking and beating at hiust, Syracen reached down and thrust the squalling six year old in my arms I pressed her close, asha, and instead looped her little ars around my waist, and bawled intothe sao when he had fallen froh irl closer, as if I alone could protect her

Stovia hurried us out of the house and alked a distance away to the bridge that would take us out of the village

"Lieutenant Sandstone," Stovia called quietly, and the soldier trotted forward on his horse "Take Valena I can’t carry the two on my horse"

Sandstone disan to shriek, her tiny hands gripping to h I winced at her tight hold, I refused to hand her over

"That’s enough," Syracen grunted He pushed Sandstone out of the way and gripped a hold of Valena, bruising her small arms as he ripped her fro across her face I rushed at hi at him I was pulled off by the soldier Syracen, to spite ainst the soldier only to be beaten by the pu I knew, Kir was in the fray, hitting and punching at those who tried to hurt us I no longer felt pain though I was too angry Too i else

Finally, I was pinned to the ground by the Captain and as he stared down at me I noticed his eyes for the first time They were blank Ee, I want you to take two of your round With the Rosonia’s inside," Syracen demanded from somewhere to my left

The Captain nodded robotically, and it was then I knew With the evocation of the Dyzvati weakened by Princezna Haydyn’s grief and age, Syracen’sthe soldiers to do his awful deeds

I was lifted to

Syracen appeared beforeValena close, her little cheeks red from his slaps "Now you can live with the fact you just had Valena’s family killed"

My despair leefully

"Don’t, Rogan" Kir struggled against a soldier, his young faceto have them killed anyway Don’t let hiust "I’ve had enough of you Sandstone!"

The whip appeared in the soldiers hand and Kir was pushed into the dirt

"NO!" I screaed soht in bed The sheets twisted around my body, my skin clammy, my hair stuck toslowly, I saw her sitting in an arain" Her soft, gentle eyes were sad "More ht hed and slowly drew to her feet I watched her float across e bedroom suite and pull the heavy brocade curtains back froht that strea my bad memories ahilst I steadfastly anchored myself to them

"I told you I’d speak to Raj to see if he had a tonic to help you sleep without the dreams"

Raj was the Royal Dravilec, Valena was his apprentice I shook my head "I told you no"

"You’re the only one who ever says no to me" Haydyn sauntered back to sit on ht, her beautiful face teasing and serene "I wonder why I let you"

"Because you love me," I stated et washed and dressed for the day

"Yes, I do"

The statement was so melancholy I spun around to face her It was then I saw it That gloo under her eyes It had been appearing more and ’s the matter"

Haydyn shook her head "Just tired is all"

"Perhaps we should speak to Raj about a tonic for you"

She didn’t look convinced but as always, to appease rimaced when I realised she was fully dressed for the day Most times when Haydyn cahtclothes "I overslept?"

Haydyn grinned "Haven forbid, but you did"

I rolledIt muddles up rinned unrepentantly Soer sister "You need a little ruffling up now and then, Rogan"

Making a face at her suggestion I was too straight-laced (which we both knew to be as far from the truth as possible), I pulled on the servant’s bell to let the bath They would come to me as quickly as they would Haydyn After all I was her best friend, her faht to the palace eight years ago by Syracen Stovia I was only eleven years old at the time Haydyn was nine At iven to Raj Kir was taken to live with Syracen and his farieving for the fa for us to find solace in one another

Haydyn’sHaydyn alone with her father The Rada had pushed and pushed him to take another wife, to have more children, but he had loved Haydyn’ssomeone else his Kralovna That left only the Kral and his baby daughter Two peas in a pod they were, Haydyn toldin life Love, coone she was adrift And I happened to be the float she grasped on to in his passing She demanded I be put in the suite next to hers, where I had rooiven the run of the palace as if I were royalty And I was In return she looked to me for love, comfort, affection, friendship, advice and security I fearedHaydyn to becoave her th because she was the only faing me to tell her why I screamed in my sleep, I told her what Syracen Stovia had done to ainst his By then I had been at the palace for four years Kir had run away only a year after our arrival and Haydyn had grown strong enough that Syracen didn’t chase hi the peace And Valena couldn’t reht here And of course Syracen hadn’t done anything violent or untoward since his return because Haydyn’s evocation overpowered him