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She ischooses an innocent, sohtered hill tribe or identified by the overseers in the training dens She had liked to play the benefactor, the kindly mistress come to offer the the desperate hope in their eyes, even granting them the mercy of a swift death by way of reward

Now it is different The song speaks of a loathsoer Was this you, beloved? she asks hie me so much? Despite her unease she knows this shellrelated how quickly a stolen shell can sicken, the deifts drain them so She starts for the nearby stairwell but pauses as two Kuritai approach, dragging a red-clad figure between the a welcoreets the red-clad “It’s been so very long I’lad to see the years have not withered you one bit”

The red-clad appears to be a hty years ago when he first rose to Council, in this very chamber in fact He had been triu secured fabled immortality Now he just seems to be what he is, a scared man, cowed by torture and expectant of death

“I” he begins, ss, a faint trickle of blood coret any offence caused to the Ally or his servants”

“Oh, there you go again, Lorvek,” she says, shaking her head with a sad s What was it you called o? You remember, the day I ca?”

Lorvek hangs his head, su the will to plead further “II saidunords”

“Murderous whore to a pestilent phantom” She takes hold of his hair and pulls his head up “Yes, that was unwise And now you call h with such poor judgeiven you”

A wave of weariness sweeps through hirow dim for a second She assu, but then he draws breath, a light co back into his eyes as he spits blood into her face “The Council will not stand for this, you vile bitch!” he hisses

“Evidence of corruption is hard to ignore,” she tells hilie “I’m afraid the vote was unani, “Just between the two of us, the Council won’t have to stand for anything soon” She presses a kiss to his cheek and steps back

“Back there,” she tells the Kuritai, jerking her head at the tunnel leading to the pits “Give him a sword and throw hi he lasts”

He screaain into contrite pleas as they enter the tunnel and his voice fades She su out the cell with the dark note andfor the stairs

• • •

Frentis ca hi and covered his face with his hands, sobs tearing from his throat

“Boy?” Master Rensial reached out to touch him, hand tentative on his shoulder, bafflement in his voice “Boy?”

Frentis continued to weep as the mad master patted his shoulder, aware that the others had stirred fro on in a sun rose and all chance of sleep had safely faded

• • •

“My blood grandmother had many dreaside, though her tone was light, her usual growl absent this ave a tired nod and didn’t reply Breakfast had been ahie with a troubled frown, Illian and Arendil unable to , bushy brows narrowed in concern

Tears froot I was a just afrom the sky to shatter the land,” Davoka went on “And floods high enough to drown the oods because a dreaht It didn’t and people saw just a ”

They are not drea at his teh him “You think I am not fit to lead?”