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I had latched on to one hope If I lived and let the Araht someday find a way free Somehow It was a thin hope, a pathetic one, but it was all I had

"Will you settle things with the Order of Itenity Noas I who clung to Shiny for support It was easier, soive up my soul with him there beside me

T’vril inclined his head "Already done"

"And"--I hesitated--"can I have your word that thisbut what you said?"

He lifted an eyebrow "You have little rooain here, Eru Shoth"

I flinched, because it was true, but I clenchedthreatened "I could tell the godlings what I am They’ll kill me, but at least they won’t use me the way youhis legs "You don’t know that, Eru Shoth Perhaps the godling you tell will have her own ene a mortal master for an immortal one?"

That was a possibility that had never occurred to me I froze, horrified by it

"You will not be her master," Shiny said

I jumped T’vril drew in a deep breath, let it out "My lord I’m afraid you weren’t privy to our earlier conversation Eru Shoth is aware of the danger if she reotiate on her behalf, his tone said He did not have to say it aloud It was painfully obvious

"A danger that remains if you lay claim to her," Shiny snapped I could hardly believe o of my hand and stepped forward, not quite in front of me "You cannot keep her existence a secret," he said "You can’t kill enough people to safely make her your weapon It would be better if you had never brought her here--then at least you could deny knowledge of her existence"

I frowned in confusion But T’vril uncrossed his legs

"Do you intend to tell the other gods about her?" he asked quietly

And then I understood Shiny was not powerless He could not be killed, not permanently He could be imprisoned, but not forever, because he was supposed to be wandering the world, learning the lessons of ods would coloat over his punishment And then T’vril’s plan to make me the Ara," Shiny said softly, "if you let her go"

I caught reatest concern hasn’t changed: she’s too dangerous to leave unprotected It would be safer to kill her" Which would erase Shiny’s leverage, besides ending ainst feint, each trying to outplay the other Except I had never paid attention to such games, because I could not see them, so I had no idea what happened if there was a draw I definitely didn’t like being the prize

"She was safe until the Order began to harass her," Shiny said "Anonymity has protected her bloodline for centuries, even froain, and all will be as it was" Shiny paused "You still have the demon blood you took from the House of the Risen Sun before you destroyed it"

"He took--" I blurted, then caught myself But my hands clenched Of course they would never have let such a valuable resource go to waste My blood, Dateh’s blood, the arrowheads--perhaps they had even learned Dateh’s refining method The Arameri had their weapon, with or without h If the Lord Arameri had that, then he didn’t need me

T’vril rose frouards,s I saw hi out at the world that he owned--and at the black sun, warning sign of the gods who threatened it He clasped his hands behind his back

"Make her anonyh,to consider it But how? Shall I kill anyone in the city who knows her? As you say, that would require more deaths than is practical"

I shuddered Vuroy and the others froossiped to the neighbors about the blind girl and her godling boyfriend Rimarn, the priests of the White Hall, a dozen na here listening to all this