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"Mary," he said in a cracked voice "She was callingsat down next to hie could feel the power and the support of his brother and his ruler "Z has her in your car They’re gonna be here very soon"

"Where is …" What had he meant to say?

The back door to the kitchen opened, another blast of cold air rushing in--just as it had out front soht his Mary’s scent, he burst up out of his chair and wrenched around "Mary--"

"Rhage--"

They met somewhere by the stove, and he held her so hard, he didn’t think she could breathe

"It’s all right," he murmured as he scented her tears "It’s okay…"

Bullshit He didn’t know that at all But as she shivered against hi ain, the pillars of his pathetic existence bending so far fro rain, they were bound to snap, the structures on his beach slapping their doors as their roofs disintegrated shingle by shingle, the s shattering--

Not that he was being drahly "Sit down"

He drew Mary over to the table and eased her into the seat next to the King

"Where is the … where is he?" Mary asked

"V V is talking to hie rubbed his temples, aware that he had a thumper of a headache "They, ah, they went into the library behind the--it doesn’t matter You knohere the roo about the floor plan?

Wrath spoke up "Vishous is taking down the male’s information and will verify it with Saxton’s help I think it’s better that the two of you sit tight and don’t ot that shit sorted"

As kindly as the words were spoken, it wasn’t a request But Rhage wasn’t going to fight the edict Separate was better in this case

"That’s right," Mary said in a hollow voice "We have a conflict of …"

"Interest," Rhage filled in

Sitting down as well, he took Mary’s hand and felt her squeeze in return … and then no one said a thing

Fro countertops, the Viking stove with its eight gas burners, the refrigerator As it was night, the s over the sink … by the table they were at … across the way … were nothing but black panes separated by bright white slats