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"Very nice," Rosethorn said appreciatively when they had returned their bowls to the tray and the patient arm Both tray and arm pulled away "It’s coconut water -- I showed you coconuts in the market last week You see, Evvy, there are benefits to this"

Evvy stared at her "Yanjing has hungry ghosts that eat the insides of people and take their skins Is that what happened to you? Is that why you’re all calm?" Then she noticed the beautifully carved supports around them Rosethorn had run a hand over the wood once they were inside, telling her what it was called, though Evvy hadn’t listened She was attentive now The frame over Rosethorn’s shoulder had sprouted a couple of leafy twigs Shame twisted inside Evvy’s belly While she had fussed, Rosethorn had been so tense that the wood of the palanquin had grown saplings to console her, despite its layers of polish

Evvy sreeably

Rosethorn raised her brows "That was too polite What is the matter with you? Are you unwell?"

"I just don’t mean to be a burden to you," Evvy explained as the palanquin surged into motion once ainst Evvy’s forehead "No, you’re not running a fever," she said "Where did you get this ‘burden’ notion?"

The palanquin ain This time eunuchs on both sides opened the curtains They offered silk-clad aruests could climb out of their luxurious box

Once they were on their feet, ihten Evvy’s layers and even Rosethorn’s habit They backed ahen Rosethorn glared at thes that also sprouted on the outside of the palanquin’s box? Evvy wasn’t sure She held still, deter to worry about Instead she looked at the ceiling while the wo because they had been brought inside a huge stone building The rafters were dark, gilded wood hung with huge paper lanterns Evvy was grateful that the lanterns weren’t lit It was fairly cool in here, except for the occasional drift of warm air from outside

An insistent thuhts on weather and rafters Aon her chin while another waited with a pot of red lip paint

"I’ for that," Evvy said flatly in tiyon What she wanted to say was that the court wole drop of red on each upper and lower lip looked stupid, but Rosethorn wouldn’t like that "Take that red stuff away"

"Evvy," Rosethorn said, warning dripping froe on my face because you told me to," Evvy said If anyone within earshot speaks Chaht fiercely "I look like a tuive uest pavilion had told them that was the name for the current style in lip paint

Both she and Rosethorn turned when they heard the scrape of a chain on the floor "But all the ladies who must make their ko to his imperial er said He had stopped next to the newly arrived Briar, as if for contrast

Briar was a slender youth, handsoreen, peach, and ivory-colored robes He did not wear the stiffened black silk cap of a nanshur or a noble, leaving his short, glossy black hair uncovered The newcoarment like very loose, draped breeches that ended at his knees He was a darker bronze than Briar, heavy with muscle, and scarred as a warrior was scarred His wrists and ankles were secured by gold shackles and connected by lengths of heavy gold chain His wrist shackles were chained to a throat collar, also gold

He saw the direction that Evvy’s eyes had taken and raised his wrists a little, tightening the chains that led from throat to arms to feet "No, I’m the only one required to wear these," he said, a ist on his mouth "It makes it difficult for me to run away" He bowed deeply and saluted first Rosethorn, then Evvy, then Briar by touching his fingers to his brawny chest, then to his lips, and last to his forehead "I am Parahan, the latest i you into the presence"

"I aan

"Rosethorn," Parahan interrupted "Though I have trouble believing that so beautiful a rose has any thorns at all"

"You have no idea," Briar murmured as he fell in step with Evvy behind Parahan and Rosethorn as they walked out into the open

The big captive led them to a small cluster of three chairs at the foot of a stone dais Evvy sa that they stood at the top of a short pyramid Its point had been lopped off toa sharp elbow into Evvy’s side and nodded in the direction of the throne The e at them Hurriedly Evvy joined Briar and Rosethorn in a deep bow Parahanin the way Like the e, he touched his hands and forehead to the stones

The emperor only nodded casually to them Then he turned his attention to what lay before theot to his feet

The view spread out below the pyra Before the ets, and racing down grassy strips set on either side of the sprawling field Periodically, at the rear of the perfor would boom In the distance, earth would explode into the air and fall