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She trailed after hilea her toward one of the small tables scattered around the roos in this room Who would notice if there were one or two less?

The silence turned heavy and cold and peculiar

She looked at the High Lord, who studied her with those sleepy gold eyes

“If you steal souards this place will let you take it,” he crooned “But they will take your hand in exchange”

He walked out of the room and closed the door

So moved in the wall A shadohere there shouldn’t be a shadow

Ker up in a chair, she remained there until Sabrina arrived to take her back to Dharo

“Is it done?” Witch asked

“It’s done,” the High Lord replied “Will it make a difference?”

She rolled up the threads of her tangled web and dropped them in a shallol of witchfire “That’s up to Kermilla now”

CHAPTER 48

TERREILLE

Frustrated and heartsore, Theran sat at his desk, his head braced in his hands

What was the point of the other Warlord Princesto ith hi to help him?

They didn’t trust him That’s what it came down to As far as they were concerned, his bond with Kerment, it had ruined the opportunities they would have had to bring in needed help for their people And every time his efforts to restore Dena Nehele failed, he lost a little more of their conditional support

They wanted the sa from Cassidy’s court, so he tried to approach Daeotiated for Cassidy Sadi’s coldly civil reply et no help from the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan

He tried to contact the Queens in Kaeleer to hire Protocol instructors to teach the courts in Dena Nehele The Queens didn’t answer him at all

He tried to talk to Cassidy, but her First Circle refused to grant hi he received from that visit was an assurance from Talon that Lady Cassidy had no desire to start a war and no intention to seize any land The Warlord Princes of Dena Nehele didn’t need to worry about having Lady Cassidy for a neighbor

No one wanted to work for him The people in the town barely spoke to him

And too hts lately, he wondered if the Warlord Princes aiting for hi their knives

Julien rushed into the study without knocking and thrust an envelope into Theran’s hand “You have a visitor Lady Rhahn from the Isle of Scelt She said you should read the letter before you speak to her”

Theran stared at Julien The butler looked dazed, dazzled, aliddy with excitement

“Read it,” Julien said “Hell’s fire, et the Lady some refreshments!”

He was gone as quickly as he’d come in

“What in the na with him?” Theran le sheet of paper