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“I know And I can’t explain it” Her mind reeled She adored Michael, but she knew she’d never feel about him the way she felt about Darien And even that was too convoluted an association to sift through and make heads or tails of “I think it’s best if we remain friends No more”

She moved past him and reached for the doorknob He halted her in her tracks as he said, “You’re infatuated with him, aren’t you?”

“Don’t be absurd,” she scoffed But her hand shook on the brass knob

“You challenged hiue him But clearly, he was interested in you before that He was the one watching us on the sidewalk, wasn’t he?”

“Yes”

“And he kept us fro”

“Yes”

“Because he wants you for himself?”

“No,” she lied, though it hurt her to do so They were friends Yet he wouldn’t understand the attraction between her and Darien Nor did she want to throw it in his face “There is a degree of fascination on both our parts, I’ll confess, but that’s it Nothing more, Michael”

His jaw clenched as he mulled this over and likely tried to choose his next words judiciously Finally, he said one more time, “Be careful, Jade” He stalked toward her Her hand fell froive you ahen you talk about the De” He yanked on the door and marched past her

Darien was in his study a week later when Morgan reported to him

“The renegades that had set up caeneral told him “No trace of the fire wraith They’ve either retreated and have given up on assassinating you, or they’re out searching for reinforcements”

“Likely the latter,” he said “But there aren’t enough rogue demons on the continent to take on my army Not even if he were to iet to me He knows he’ll neverdetected and captured He can’t penetrate our patrols around the castle or scale our walls”

“We should do a large-radius sweep,” Morgan suggested “In all directions Try to find out if they’ve regrouped somewhere else”

“Yes And I want reports froional stewards on any activity outside their own boundaries, in hues as well as in uninhabited, remote areas”