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No freedom No lives of our own

No way in hell

Piaras stepped closer to ?" he asked softly

"To see which way the wind is blowing"

Phaelan had said he was going to wait for us across the street froet within miles of that place, but I soon found we didn’t have a choice When I got a glimpse of the harbor, it was obvious that Tanik Ozal’s slip was empty Taltek Balmorlan’s yacht was still there, as were the Khrynsani and Mal’Salin vessels, but no Tanik

Either Tanik had to suddenly get out of port, which, knowing Tanik, was hardly surprising, or soone

Walking gavepossibilities If Rudra Muralin had killed ained control of the stone That scenario was bad enough, but it raised solier questions Would that work only for Muralin, or could any hred? And would the rock take anyone, or was it picky, like taking only the hred and lived nearly nine hundred years

I just wanted to live

Worse still was a realization that rolled et as far away froic user was killed and a drop of their blood landed onas no one died in my immediate vicinity, I wouldn’t have to find out

So many questions, way too feers

Answers that, unfortunately, I could only find here

I felt a touch and jumped It was Tam; his arm had brushed my shoulder He’d co about slurping and straws

I stopped, and Ronan and the kids waited a little distance ahead, giving us some privacy

"It’s best that I leave now" Tam lowered his voice to a bare whisper "Whether Mychael or Carnades is in charge, it’s dangerous for you to be seen with es "And I can’t risk my son, or the roup of guys," I noted

"Yes, they are"

"Old colleagues?"

"And good friends"

Ta seen now The Conclave and possibly now the Guardians saw things in black and white Taray, but noas sometimes black They didn’t knohat to make of him

To tell you the truth, neither did I

"Do you knohat you do to me?" Tam whispered

I reood idea You do the sa to get rid of hred; once that’s done, it won’t be an issue anys were"

His dark eyes glittered in the streetlamps "You don’t believe that any more than I do"

"No, I don’t But I do believe in denial My faoblins and deception"

"Deception for your own good," Tae of that froht ahead, his profile stern "When I tell you to stay away frolanced down at ht "How about hope?"

"You can hope all you want, just don’t hold your breath"

Taer married into the Mal’Salin family doesn’t mean they don’t ask favors from time to time," he said softly, and in Goblin "They have, and they will continue to do so Some favors I can coe"

"Like rin "I’ve always considered you a challenge" The grin vanished "Rudra Muralin has nothing to do with the Mal’Salin faet what he wants And the family’s connection to the Khrynsani is--shall we say--fluid"

"Good old goblin ‘shifting alliances’ "

Tahred--and you He has made no secret of that The saaru"

I remembered the prince’s hospitality froaru Mal’Salin, the end justified any means And Sarad Nukpana was, or used to be, Sathrik’s chief counselor Both Sathrik and Chigaru wanted to get their hands on the Saghred and do so with each other Sathrik was a new king anted to prove hi for a throne

"Have they asked for a favor?" Na to do about it?"