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“Tell ain how you did this,” Jaenelle said

A typical wife question, particularly when said inthat tone of voice

“Daeht there”

“Uh-huh That is a very nasty knot” She said nothing for a minute while she worked on that part of his back “So we’re talking about Daemonar Yaslana Your nephew”

“He’s your nephew too”

“Yes, he is And he’s Eyrien Which s”

“He’s just a little boy”

“Who has wings”

Da to hold on to that little detail like a Sceltie herding a single sheep

“Since he is little,” Jaenelle continued “How did he get up in the tree? He wouldn’t be able to reach the lower branches to climb up like you did”

Oh, no He knew a trick question when he heard one

“He flew up, didn’t he?” Jaenelle said “Using his wings”

“Darling, you’re starting to sound like a Harpy,” Dae her thumbs into his back—which he deserved for the Harpy comment

“Why don’t you just ad a tree in those shoes you usually wear instead of using Craft to float up to the branch where your erring nepheaiting for you, and , was a dumb idea?”

He wasn’t about to ad Especially when ithad been a du it He’d known it even better when he watched Daeround But it had been a ht find it a on the consequences, but she understood it So she should understand that, at thatdown at him, he saw himself as the uncle who used Craft instead of muscle, who didn’t participate in the physical world the way his brother Lucivar did In that moment, he didn’t want to be seen asless by a boy asn’t old enough to appreciate the power and skills hedid have

So he’d climbed the damn tree

Idiot

“At least I didn’t actually hit the ground,” Daemon muttered “I did re spell” Which saved him from serious injury since he landed on a cushion of air instead of hard ground, but it didn’t spare hi a back full of tight, aching muscles

“Good for you,” Jaenelle said, her voice so dry there was no question she was not impressed

“All right Fine I was an idiot” Which was a story he was sure the servants at SaDiablo Hall would share for many years to come, since a couple of them had witnessed the little drama They wouldn’t share the story with outsiders, because anyone orked at the Hall knew the private lives of the SaDiablo family remainedprivate But he could see so servant aside and telling hierous,lethal Black-Jeweled Warlord Prince of Dhe uncle with good intentions and a shortage of brains

“Shit” He couldfeel her smile, and the fact that she didn’t need to comment was more than sufficient comment

She kissed him between the shoulder blades, and that simple contact between lips and skin warmed him in other ways, and the next stroke of her hands down his back had hi