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This was real It wasn’t perfect, but it was the best they could do This hat it was to be Godking Besides, if he and Jenine simply ran away, one of the Vürdmeisters would rule with even more brutality than Dorian’s father had Every relationship, everymade choices for other people based on information they didn’t have That was the burden of rule Dorian had weighed Jenine’s choices, and he’d chosen

"I’ot so many other concerns, but I promised myself eto feel like a lie I’m sorry I made my decision I did marry you I do love you I just--it’s just hard to be an adult all the time You’ve trusted irl I’ such a disappointment"

"A disappointment?" Dorian asked "You’ve done better than I could have i like an adult until I was much older than you are I’ I understand you’re confused This is a confusing place I understand you have doubts We’ve been married for twofor the rest of your life, and that’s scary Yes, it hurts h to take a few scratches Thanks for telling ed, and he felt her unreserved relief He wished she would feel his hesitation, wished she would ask hian He would tell her everything

After a few o, and thehi him

"I love you too, Jenine" I still don’t call her Jeni Why is that?

Kylar opened his eyes slowly His mouth felt like it was stuffed full of cotton His whole body was a chorus of co his jaw to clear the cotton feeling, he sat up He touched his cheek where Durzo had smeared the poison The new skin was tender, but there would be no scarring: Durzo was right The bastard was always right

It was dawn in the woods Kylar was about to curse aloud when he becas with a deep, slow breath, willing his senses to co, but whether all the birds hador if the reason was more sinister, Kylar didn’t know He slowly flexed thewhether they would cra his head slowly The sound of his fresh beard grinding against the collar of his tunic was the barest whisper The length of his beard confirht

There was nothing in the forest No sounds out of place He thought he could trust his body to respond Wind sighed through the big oaks, the few re had woken him Kylar was sure of it Instinctively, he reached for the ka’kari to cloak hione Kylar reached instead into his sleeves, loosening the daggers there He scanned the trees

A puff of air hit the top of his head

Kylar threw himself to the side as he buried a knife in the tree above his head He rolled once, threw hiers in his hands

Durzo laughed softly "I always did like watching you ju like a spider to the tree Kylar had slept against

"You bastard, where’s the ka’kari? What have you done?"

Durzo kept laughing

"Give ood ti? I can--" Kylar extended his hand to call the ka’kari to him