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"Is it--" I had to struggle to be heard, half lanced back at the racing dog, as sniffing at the spot now; the dog looked up and nodded in solemn confirmation "No doubt about it The blood’s just splattered about; it fell fro ue, then switched to Senmite so I would understand "There ic, as you said" He looked down atin irritation "He’s powerless now He must have known he couldn’t take a scrivener, if that’s what the s--why didn’t he just call for help? Stubborn bastard"

I closed , suddenly weary I could have called for help, too, I realized belatedly, though I’d been too frightened to think of doing so Shiny, however, hadn’t been afraid at all He hadn’t wanted help He’d done it again--charged into a dangerous situation, spent his life like currency, all so he could have a taste of his old power It had been for my benefit this tis respected life, including their own They were just as immortal, but they at least tried to defend theht, they tried not to kill While Shiny slaughtered even his own kin

"The Nightlord should’ve just killed hi raised his eyebrows in surprise, but I shookwith hiht…"

I remembered the little break in Shiny’s voice when he’d admitted his role in the Gods’ War Just an instant of instability, a crack in the bedrock of his stoicism But it went deeper than that, didn’t it? His carelessness with his flesh--how had he ended up dead in ivenme for all the duplicity of the hu embodiment of stability, peace, and rationality The man he had become, here in the mortal realm, didn’t make sense Shiny did not feel like Itempas because Shiny wasn’t Ite would let hed "Nahadoth wanted to kill his did, too, after what he’d done But the Three created this universe; if any one of them dies, it all ends So he was sent here, where he can do the least daain I heard that hint of longing in his voice Hope, not quite stifled "Maybe, soet better See the error of his ways I don’t know"

"He said he was trying to apologize Up on the roof To… to…" I shuddered We did not forget his name, but we didn’t say it, either, not if we could help it "The Nightlord"

Madding blinked in surprise "Did he? That’s ht he’d do" He sobered "But I doubt that will do any good He killed my mother, Oree Murdered her with poison,or i any of us who dared to protest It takes a little y to atone for that"

I reached up to touch Madding’s face, reading his expression with ers This helped ry about it"

His brow furrowed "Of course I a down to press his forehead against mine--"I loved hi I kne to coh, between father and son It was Shiny’s proble I could do, though

"I’ll stay," I said

He started, pulling back to stare athed I was shaky inside, not just from leftover panic "No But I don’t think I ever will be I just… I knohat’s h then, as I realized that Shiny had helped e in his words I did, too, love Madding And I wanted to be with hih it meant the end of the life I’d worked so hard to build and the end ofI suspected Shiny did not understand