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“Cassie has so friends,” Gray said

Interesting,Ranon thought as the four of the Lucivar for whatever lessons the Eyrien had inBut he wondered if Theran was paying any attention to their visitors and the influence they were having on the people here They were both the forge and the fire that could shape the Blood in Dena Nehele into bright steel—or leave the attention to the kind ofin the heat of that forge

“Do you have a reason to be concerned about Karla?” Surreal asked

“A particular reason?” Lucivar shook his head “Her Master of the Guard works with her to help her s, and I won’t step on the man’s territory But that doesn’t mean I won’t take an opportunity to assess her forneeds more of his attention”

“Are her legs getting weaker?”

“Not yet, but the day will co what Jaenelle had to do in order to save Karla, the fact that Karla could walk at all was testith of will But the ever-present cane and the face aged beyond its years were a reest will couldn’t eliminate the effects of terrible poisons that should have destroyed a Gray-Jeweled Queen “I’ll help her postpone that day for as long as possible,” Lucivar added quietly Then he sood” And since she hadn’t tried to knife hiiven him for the time she had spent in Ebon Rih

“I’s,” she replied “About myself About this” She called in a stiletto

Lucivar tensed—which seemed to amuse her

“Relax,” she said, vanishing the stiletto “When I first arrived at Chaosti’s clan, Grands es, tied them to a tree, and stabbed them until my arm cramped”

“Shit,” Lucivar said He’d pushed her because he cared He hadn’t meant to push her so much she hated him

Surreal laughed “You should see your face Breathe easy, Yaslana I was just teasing I would never spend that much time on embroidery”

This tis he didn’t want her to understand

“I do recognize some of those words,” she said

“Good for you,” he snapped

She grinned at him

He stared at the people gathering in the yard They stared back at hi a couple of wolves

Dumb sheep

Lucivar frowned “Where is Vae?”

“Don’t know,” Surreal replied “She came with me as far as Dharo when I went to fetch Cassidy’s fa back with us”

Lucivar looked at Surreal Surreal looked at hied sheep

“Not our problem,” Surreal said

“Definitely not our problereed Especially when he had a ouldn’t appreciate dealing withsickness and a small boy all by herself for more than a couple of days