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"You’re letting in light," Grinwoody said "Are you trying to kill"I’h several layers of heavy tapestries that blocked light from the room

The air inside the room was stale, still, hot It reeked of oldinstantly

"Coravelly, like Lord Guile hadn’t spoken all day

Kip race hi touched his face He flinched Not a cobweb, a feathery light touch Kip stopped He had somehow expected Andross Guile to be an invalid, seated in a wheeled chair perhaps, like a dark

The hand was firh with few calluses It traced Kip’s chubby face, felt the texture of his hair, the curve of his nose, pressed his lips, went against the grain of Kip’s incipient beard Kip winced, terribly aware of the pi in

"So you’re the bastard," Andross Guile said

"Yes, my lord"

Out of nowhere, so nearly tore Kip’s head off He crashed into the wall so hard he would have broken so if it hadn’t been covered in layers of tapestries, too He fell to the carpeted floor, his cheek burning, ears ringing

"That was for existing Never shaain"

Kip stood unsteadily, too surprised to even be angry He didn’t knohat he had been expecting, but a blow out of the darkness hadn’t been it "My apologies for being born, my lord"

"You have no idea"

There was silence The darkness was oppressive Whatever you do, Gavin had said, don’t et any hotter in here?