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And Eslyn didn’t look happy

Not at all

“I smell them on you In this room What in the veck did you do, Eslyn?” Elit advanced on her,his eyes

“You,” she hissed “You don’t get to coot you free But you didn’t give me the same courtesy”

He laughed—a dark, crackling sound that seemed to snap her bones in its wake

Banf stood with his back against the door to the children’s room, arms folded over his chest Both of them had hollows under their eyes, which should’ve called up her sympathy, but it didn’t They deserved every ounce of hell they’d received in that dungeon And more

“You never were the brightest in our little family, were you?” Banf sneered

Elit joined in “Halaxy so I think I’ll just hand overpopulation Are you really that vecking stupid?”

“Yes, she is She really thought she was going to get to spread her legs and let soht”

“Bought?” she spat “How do you figure?”

“Fifteen years of taking care of your whiny ass!” Banf snapped “Complaints and tears and a whole lot of bitterness is all we’ve had from you and now you want to deny us our due?”

“I’ to tell Prince Zander that I lied today, and you both deserve to rot in that dungeon with Sankro!” she spat

She didn’t see Elit’s fist flying because Banf had lunged for her throat at the same time Her head snapped back on her neck and she fell to the floor Banf straddled her, choking her breath with a tight squeeze under her chin

She scra uselessly, unable to cry out Terror gripped her, as it always did when they choked her Her vision popped with lights around the edges, then bled with darkness

A rushing sounded in her ears