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"A word?"

Daniel nodded for Luce to go on alone, so she did, wondering what Dee didn’t want to say in front of her

She slipped the lantern’s handle over her forear as she walked toward the mouth of the cave

She eased open the stiff lid of the chest and reached inside A long brown robe was the only thing in it She picked it up It was made of heavy wool, thick as a peacoat and ainst her body, it looked about three feet too long

Now she was even more curious about why Dee had sent her away She set the lantern on the ground and clumsily pulled the robe over her head

"Need some help?"

Cam had entered the cave as quietly as a cloud

Standing behind her, he gathered a fold of the cloak’s arment’s woven belt

He knotted it in place so that the hem ended at Luce’s ankles perfectly, as if the cloak had been made for her

She turned around to face hiht flickered on his face He stood very still, in the way that only Ca the belt he’d knotted

"Thanks," she said,back toward the entrance of the cave

"Luce, wait--"

She stopped Cae of the chest Luce stared at it, too She ondering how she hadn’t heard him come into the cave, how they’d ended up alone

"You still don’t believe I’m on your side"

"It doesn’t ht

"Listen" Cam took a step toward her so that there were only inches between therab her, but he didn’t He didn’t even try to touch her; he just stayed very still and close "Things used to be different Look at s now, but it wasn’t always like that You knew me before I went that way, Lucinda, and you and I were friends"

"Well, like you said, things change"

Caize to a girl with such a conveniently selective uess: As you awaken to your true self, you’re unpacking all sorts of sumptuous memories in which you and Daniel fell in love, and Daniel said this beautiful phrase, and Daniel turned and brooded toward silken silhouettes caressing the tender tips of stars on the horizon--"

"Why shouldn’t I? We belong to each other Daniel isAnd you’re--"

"What does he say about me?" Cam’s eyes narrowed

Luce cracked her knuckles and thought about the way, early on at Sword & Cross, Daniel’s hand had swept over hers to stop the

"He says he trusts you"

A pause followed that Luce refused to fill She wanted to leave What if Daniel looked over and saw her in this di, but Daniel wouldn’t be able to tell that from a distance What did they look like, she and Careen, and profoundly sad

"Do you trust ht now--"

His eyes shot open, wild and excited "Everything ht now This is the showtime for which all other shows have been a warm-up And in order for you to do what you need to do, you can’t see otten into"

"What are you talking about?"

"Luce" It was Dee’s voice She and Daniel were standing at the"We’re ready for you!"

"Me?"

"You"

Luce was suddenly frightened "What do I have to do?"

"Why don’t you come and see?"

Dee’s hand was extended but Luce found it difficult toat Daniel Daniel was still looking at her, his eyes burning the hungry way they did when he was about to sweep her into his arms and kiss her deeply But he didn’t move and that turned the ten feet of space between the wrong?" she asked

"You’re about to do so out her hand "Let us not waste time we do not have"