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Mother Night These children had balls

“Are you trying to start a war or avoid one?” he asked

“Avoid one,” they replied

Thank the Darkness for that “Then there are a few phrases that should be reworded”

As he turned toward a chair where he could work, he felt another dark presence in the Keep Ranon and Gray felt it too and kneas approaching the roo to keep thisprivate, he settled into the chair, called in a lap desk and a pen, and began rereading the document that would break a Territory

Lucivar walked into the roo look at hih to know this wasn’t a battlefield

Which didn’t mean Lucivar wouldn’t turn it into one if he decided there was a reason

“Gray,” Lucivar said “Ranon What brings you here?”

The question wasn’t as idle as it sounded Ebon-gray was asking Purple Dusk and Opal to explain their presence—and would get an explanation one way or another

Since dealing with Lucivar had been a valuable lesson for all the boyos in Jaenelle’s First Circle, Saetan pretended to be unaware of this particular pissing contest He didn’t want Gray and Ranon to get hurt, but he wasn’t going to step in unless it was necessary because every man needed to knohen to stand and when to yield

Gray glanced at Ranon, who nodded slightly

“The Shalador reserves and the five southern Provinces are breaking from the rest of Dena Nehele to form a new Territory,” Gray said

“That makes the Heartsblood River your northern boundary?” Lucivar asked

“How did you know?” Ranon asked

Foolish boy,Saetan thought, looking up to watch this part of the dra the currents Especially when that Eyrien was an Ebon-gray Warlord Prince

Lucivar shrugged—and then winced so slightly no one but family would notice “It’s a natural border, not to mention a means of travel and a source of water Stands to reason you’d want to hold on to one side of it How many Warlord Princes on your side of the line?”

“About forty,” Gray said “That’s almost half of the adult Warlord Princes in Dena Nehele”

“Adult,” Lucivar said He gave Ranon a long look “If this getsfields with the rest of you You know that”

“I know,” Ranon said quietly

“That’s why I’ over this document,” Saetan said “To try to avoid the necessity of anyone standing on a killing field because of a preference for one Queen over another”

Another assessing look at him before Lucivar focused on the other two men “Have Talon deliver the copy of the docue”

Saetan crossed out a sentence and wrote his changes in the ned docuht here to the Keep Documents can be lost or destroyed in a Territory when it’s convenient to hide infor can touch them here”

That wasn’t quite true, but there was no one else in the roo Lucivar, who could destroy a race so completely that all trace of them was eliminated from all the Realms

Gray had brought a map of Dena Nehele, so while he, Ranon, and Lucivar reviewed how to make the best use of the trained warriors they had, Saetan worked through Powell’s draft, es that would place the burden of war squarely on Theran Grayhaven’s shoulders Only a fool would start a war under these circumstances

Of course, a man driven to serve a particular Queen could be ten tiht hate himself for it, but he’d still follow the Queen’s command and be her instrument