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"Your coation’s chief concern, Ysabeau" Baldwin gave her a forbidding look

"Where a appropriate initial reluctance given his long-standing friendship with the fareed to keep you at his hoation could hardly refuse him,"

Baldwin replied "That won’t pose a problem, will it?"

Ysabeau lifted her shoulders in an expressive Gallic shrug "Not for me"

"Gerbert cannot be trusted" Matthew turned on his brother with aler as Marcus had shown "Christ, Baldwin He stood by and watched while Knox worked his ed to retain his butcher," Ysabeau h her son had not spoken "Marthe will have to come with oing," Matthew said "I’ll give myself up first"

Before I could protest, Ysabeau spoke "No, my son Gerbert and I have done this before, as you knoill be back in no time--a few months at most"

"Why is this necessary at all?" Marcus said "Once the Congregation inspects Sept-Tours and finds nothing objectionable, they should leave us alone"

"The Congregation reater than the de Clerrasp of the situation

"But, Grand- stricken, "it should be randile as you think," Ysabeau said with a touch of frostiness "My blood, inferior though it ht be, does not shrink from its duty"

"Surely there’s another way," I protested

"No, Diana," Ysabeau answered "We all have our roles in this family Baldill bully us

Marcus will look after the brotherhood Mattheill look after you, and you will look after orated at the prospect of being held for ransom once more"

Myhelped Baldwin and Marcus to reach a fragile state of détente, Matthew and I returned to our rooms on the other side of the château Matthew turned on the sound syste the room with the intricate strains of Bach The music made it more difficult for the other vampires in the house to overhear our conversations, so Matthew invariably had so we know more about Ashmole 782 than Knox does," I said quietly "Once I retrieve the book froation will have to stop handing out ulti with us directly"

Matthew studied me silently for a moulp He offeredI craved at this hour was tea

Marcus had urged nancy, however, and herbal blends were a poor substitute

"What do you know about the Congregation’s varees?" I took a seat on the sofa

"Not lass of wine I frowned There was no chance of a va wine from a bottle--the only way that one could feel the influence was to drink blood from an inebriated source--but it wasn’t usual for hiation keep witch and dae to distract him

"I don’t know The affairs of witches and daemons never concernedthe fireplace

"Well, it doesn’t matter," I said, all business "Our top priority has to be Asho to Oxford as quickly as possible"

"And ill you do then, ht for a h the spell that bound the book to the library "My father made sure that would come to me if I need it Our present circumstances certainly qualify"

"So the safety of Asherous softness

"Of course That and finding its es," I said "Without them will never reveal its secrets"

When the daees in sixteenth-century Prague, he had da of the book For protection, the text had burrowed into the parchical palies as if looking for theletters It wasn’t possible to read what reure out which creatures are bound into it, perhaps even date it, by analyzing its genetic information in your lab," I continued Matthew’s scientific work focused on issues of species origins and extinction "When I locate the two es--"

Matthew turned, his face a calm mask "You mean e recover Ashes"

"Matthew, be reasonable Nothing would anger the Congregation ether at the Bodleian"

His voice got even softer, his face calnant, Diana

Meation have already invaded et his hands on Ashmole 782 and knows that you have the power to do it Soes, too You will not be going to the Bodleian Library or anywhere else without ain," I said, ht now Ashmole 782 is safely in the library Leave it there and let this business with the Congregation settle down" Mattheas relying--perhaps too much--on the idea that I was the only witch who could release the spellwill that take?"

"A few months Perhaps until after the babies are born," Matthew said

"That er "So I’estate

And your plan is to twiddle your thumbs and watch the calendar with me?"

"I will do whatever Baldwin co the last of his wine

"You cannot be serious!" I exclaimed "Why do you put up with his autocratic nonsense?"

"Because a strong head of the family prevents chaos, unnecessary bloodshed, and worse," Matthew explained "You forget that I was reborn in a very different time, Diana, when most creatures were expected to obey someone else without question--your lord, your priest, your father, your husband

Carrying out Baldwin’s orders is not as difficult for me as it will be for you"