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“He didn’t,” Ranon said “He took Vae with him”

As if speaking the na, Vae rounded the corner of the boardinghouse and bounded over to them

Where is Cassie? Vae asked Gray is looking for her

“And I’rowled

Vae’s tail stoppedShe spun around to face the way she had co for you! Then she trotted off as if she had no more time for humans

Gray rounded the corner, looking more relaxed than he had since Cassidy’s collapse Maybe hehad gone to that house for sex

Now that he knew Gray was safe, worry gave way to temper Theran shouted, “Where in the name of Hell have you been?”

Gray didn’t flinch, just gave hi on Talon

“We’ve been worried about you, boy,” Talon said with strained control “Where have you been?”

“I needed to talk to someone about Cassie,” Gray said “So I went to the Keep to talk to Uncle Saetan”

Ranon’s eyes widened, but he said nothing

The words felt like icy claws ripping up Theran’s spine Uncle Saetan?Uncle Saetan?

He glanced at Talon, not sure how to read the older man’s expression “I see,” Talon said quietly “It would have been courteous to tell so These are still uneasy ti a direction to follow”

“In case you need to search,” Gray said just as quietly

Talon nodded

“My apologies, sir I was angry and didn’t think of that”

“You were all right riding the Winds?” Talon asked

Gray nodded “I asked Vae to go with me and shohich radial and tether lines to ride on the Purple Dusk Wind in order to reach the Keep from here”

“That’s good”

Good? Theran stared at Talon What was going on? Sure, they had to be careful A few harsh words was all it took to have Gray whi his ass for all the hours the court had spent scra his disappearance from Cassidy Instead, Talon was alht Hell’s fire, Talon hadraised the two of theht them, protected them

Ranon turned his head, everything about the man on alert for a moment before he relaxed “Cassidy, Shira, and Reyhana are back from their walk”

“Please ask Lady Shira to convey my request for an audience with the Queen,” Gray said

Already feeling off balance, Theran rocked back on his heels and wondered if the ood illusion spell could fool the eye Hell’s fire, they had lost enough men to that kind of trickery—which should have proved that the twisted Queens ere allied with Dorothea SaDiablo had Black Widows serving in their courts