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Hado had infiltrated the group on the Arahts were erous than they seemed But then--

I turned to Hado "Serymn," I said "Is she a spy, too?"

"No," said Hado "She’s a traitor If you can call anyone in this fa of a tradition with Araet to rule When they fail, they get death As Sery pawn?"

"Dead, I hope Ara the House of the Risen Sun last night"

I gasped He s for, Lady Though hts’ inner circle, I could not communicate beyond the House of the Risen Sun easily without rousing suspicion Once Seryhts to search for you, I was able to get word to certain friends, who ht ears" He paused "The Lights were right about one thing: the gods have ary with mortalkind, and the deaths of their kin have done little to endear us to them The Arameri understand this and so have taken steps to control the situation"

My hand on the Tree’s bark began to treh the palace, integrated with its very substance At the roots, its bark was rougher, with crevices deeper than the length of h on the Tree’s trunk, was fine-lined, al comfort

"Lord Arameri," I said T’vril Arameri, head of the fa ods, wielded the iven my ancestors I had held them in my arms, watched their blood coat my hands, feared them and been feared by theht, then" I turned back to Hado, who offeredit, which caused hiht up withwhite corridors

"A Golden Chain" (engraving on metal plate)

T’VRIL ARAMERI WAS A VERY BUSY MAN As alked the long hallway toward the i set of doors that led to his audience chamber, they opened several ti servants and courtiers Most of these carried scrolls or whole stacks thereof; a feore long sharp shapes that I assumed were swords or spears; stillthe ered in the corridor to chat, though some spoke while on the move I heard Senmite flavored with exotic accents: Narshes, Min, Veln, Mencheyev, others I did not recognize

A busyto keep in mind if I hoped to enlist his aid

At the doors, we paused while Hado announced us to the touessed by the fact that both were shorter than average and by their telltale straight hair, which hung long enough that I could see its sway They did not appear to be guards at first glance--no weapons that I could see, though they could have had so in the set of their shoulders let me know that was exactly what they were They were not Arauard the lord from his own fa else?

One of the women went inside to announce us A ed and filed past us They stared at me with open curiosity They looked at Hado, too, I noticed, especially the two fullbloods who e at each other I glanced at Hado, who seemed not even to see them I wished I dared touch his face, because there was a pleased air about hied from the chamber and, without a word, held the door open for us I followed Hado inside

The audience chamber was open and airy Two enorht, dominated the walls on either side of the door As alked, the sounds of our footsteps echoed froh overhead I was too nervous to look up The rooreat blocklike chair, sat at the farthest point froh I could not see the chair’s occupant, I could hear hi of his pen sounded very loud in the room’s vast silence