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"Phoebe will help you look for the third illumination Go to Sept-Tours Wait there for ht?" Diana asked The reality of their i to sink in

"I’ll find a way But no phone calls No eation to follow if Baldwin--or one of my own blood--turns races, at least until you are recognized as a de Clermont"

"But that’s months away!" Diana’s expression turned desperate "What if the children are born early?"

"Marthe and Sarah will deliver the this will take, Diana" It could be years, Matthew thought

"Hoill I make the children understand why their father isn’t with them?" she asked

"You will tell the twins I had to stay away because I loved them--and their mother--with all my heart" Matthew’s voice broke He pulled her into his arht delay her inevitable departure

"Matthew?" The familiar voice came out of the darkness

"Marcus?" Diana had not heard his approach, though Matthew had picked up first his scent and then the soft sound of his son’s footsteps as he climbed the mountain

"Hello, Diana" Marcus stepped out of the shadows and into a patch ofat Sept-Tours?"

"Everything in France is fineI thought Matthew needed me here," Marcus said

"And Phoebe?" Diana asked

"With Alain and Marthe" Marcus sounded tired "I couldn’t help but overhear your plans There will be no turning back once we put the a scion, Matthew?"

"No," Matthew said, unable to lie "But Diana is" He looked at his wife "Chris and Gallowglass are waiting for you down the path Go now, htened at the enormity of what they were about to do

"It will never be any easier You’re going to have to walk away from me Don’t look back And for God’s sake don’t run" Mattheould never be able to control hiether She nodded and dashed the back of her hand against her cheek, brushing away sudden tears

Matthew putinto one last kiss

"I’ll never--" Diana began

"Hush" He silenced her with another touch of his lips "No nevers for us, remember?"

Matthew set her away froht have been a thousand leagues As soon as he did, his blood howled He turned her so she could see the two faint circles of light frohts

"Don’t make this harder on him," Marcus told Diana softly "Go now Slowly"

For a few seconds, Mattheasn’t sure she would be able to do it He could see the gold and silver threads hanging fro to fuse together so that had been suddenly, horribly broken She took a tentative step Then another Matthe the led to keep her composure Her head dropped Then she squared her shoulders and sloalked in the opposite direction

"I knew fro to break her heart," Chris called to Matthehen she reached him He drew Diana into his ar with it his composure, his sanity, and his last traces of hulass and Chris led Diana away When they disappeared fro to God that he would be able to restrain his father by hi to make it without her?" Marcus asked him He had been away from Phoebe for less than twelve hours and already he was uneasy

"I have to," Matthew said, though at theapart will do to you?" Marcus still had night Philippe’s capture and death It had been like watching so, the irrational behavior, the physical pain

And his grandparents were ah mated, could be separated for periods of tie made that impossible Even before Matthew and Diana were fully mated, Ysabeau had warned Marcus that his father was not to be trusted if so were to happen to Diana

"Does she know?" Marcus repeated

"Not entirely She knoill happen to h"

Matthew shook off his son’s ar with this--withas you beg for his forgiveness"

"I made my choice in 1781, reht you’ve proved it was the right one"

"There are no guarantees this ork," Matthearned "Baldwin et wind of e’re doing before we’re through God knows your own children have reason to oppose it"

"They’re not going to make it easy for you, but my children will do what I tell them to do

Eventually Besides," Marcus said, "you’re under my protection now"

Matthew looked at him in surprise

"The safety of you, your hts of Lazarus’s top priority," Marcus explained "Baldwin can threaten all he wants, but I have more than a thousand vampires, daemons, and yes, even witches, under my command"

"They’ll never obey you," Matthew said, "not when they find out what you’re asking theht for"