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"Taxes he has to charge to protect his people from Aren," I retort "False-bloods have always hurt the Realm Your leader’s no exception"

"Aren’s not a Descendant of the Tar Sidhe Sethan is"

"Look," I say "The lords of the provinces voted for King Atroth He is a Descendant--nobody disputes that--so unless you have so"

His expression darkens "This isn’t America--"

"No, it’s Germany," I interrupt, suddenly tired and more than a little cranky " And if you don’t o home"

He shakes his head "Aren should have killed you"

Sosympathy from uy

He says so in Fae to Kelia She responds, but I’lowers in the doorway Edarratae flash across a tensed jaw, briefly erasing the shadows on his face They don’t lighten hisfro the hilt of the sword at his waist He’s holding hi atto Naito and Kelia I want to beg the out of the roo the door open by only a tiny crack

Okay Stay calet out of whatever he plans to do toto escape? Offer to read shadows for him? That’s why he’s keptGates, but giving in see as possible, then

Aren pulls a knife from his belt

orwhatever it takes to stay alive

I open ht buy me more tih the right side ofto clear an airway suddenly constricted with fear Aren crouches down in front ofto hurt you" Despite his lol, he’s gentle when he slides the knife’s blade through the bandages wrapping my fractured arm I suck in a breath when the splint and strips of cloth fall to the floor It hurts, but not as much as it would if I hadn’t taken Kelia’s pills

Carefully, Aren wraps both his hands around the break and awakens his rit my teeth to hold back a scream Fire That’s what his touch feels like Hot,atblack and crisp beneath his fingers

When the agony increases,sAtroth has three healers in his Court, and I al to track down the false-blood Thrain

The pain vanishes Oh, yes, the arain

Aren’s hands are still on h I can’t help but notice his knuckles are swollen and dirty, the skin over the from his wrist to his elbow He needs to take care of that Before it becomes infected

He finally releases my ars to his shoulder I loosenout from under his

I s once, twice, then find my voice "Why not?"

An edarratae flashes across his jaw "Why not what?"