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"Unless that memory was taken from him, as Gifford’s were" Jamys bowed "Until sunset, my lord"

Lucan clasped his hand to Jaht, hold, and handed Jamys a pair of dark shades before he opened the door of the car waiting for them "I have sent men ahead to secure the scene, but ill have to do this quickly to avoid drawing any attention fro merchants"

Jamys nodded and, once inside the car, picked up the courtesy phone As Garcia drove to the jeweler’s shop, he debated on how much to say before he dialed the number for his father’s private chamber

"The sun is still up, assassin," Thierry answered, his voice almost a snarl "So unless you have found my son, or Florida has been invaded and has been put to the torch--"

"I am here, Father," Jamys said "I have been at Alenfar since I left your house"

Silence answered him, and then Thierry said, "The very next tilishullet"

"I never told Lucan I had left Baucent without your perlare of the sun "Father, when I was a so into battle, do you remember what you would say to entled "I would say ‘Protect the women, defend the household, and know that here or in heaven, I will see you again’ And never once did you shed a tear"

"Now it is your turn to be brave," he told his father "For this night I go into battle"

For a long tihed, and said, "You have always been a warrior in your heart, my son, and if now you must take up the sword, I know you will be the same in the field"

"Then if I may, I will ask you to protect my stepmother, and the men and women of the household," Jamys said slowly "Please tell Jema that I love her as the mother of my heart"

"That will ive me my harsh words, and my foolish fears?"

"I have, and pray you will do the saood and strong and wise, I owe to you"

Thierry ain, Jamys?"

"Here or in heaven, Father Farewell" He switched off the phone, and looked up to see Garcia driving into the alley behind a row of buildings

"We have arrived, my lord" The tresora parked the car in front of a steel door marked COBURN FINE JEWELERS and retrieved a case from the floor

At the door Jamys watched him pick the lock in seconds and, once inside, disarm the security system with a quick bypass circuit "For a policeman, you have the skills of an accomplished thief"

"Often Lord Alenfar requires me to work on both sides of the law" Garcia nodded toward the interior "The shutters have been lowered so you will not be seen frouard here"

Ja Stryker had described had been laid out in front of the display cases He knelt down and rolled it aside to reveal the large decorative tiles beneath, and ran the tip of his dagger along each one before he found a seae the tile over the floor safe A keypad set into the safe’s door was the only access point, but he punched through it and gripped the side of the hole left behind to wrench open the steel lid

A large black velvet case lay inside, and when Jamys removed it and opened the lid, he found it filled with trays of glittering einable Yet when he came to the very bottom tray, which had three deep, fist-size impressions in the cloth, he found it eer possessed the Emeralds of Eternity Ja the safe and the dullout the false bottom to expose a layer of bricks sealed in plastic, a thin electronic device, and coils of wire

Like most Kyn, Jamys trained in the use of weapons of every era; he knew exactly what it was and how to employ it

He reached for the trays of eh thehtly slanced around the shop, rising to go to a display of golden jewelry cases, and chose one large enough to contain the black velvet tray He then placed that and everything he needed in the bag, closed the safe, and recovered it before joining Garcia at the back door

"Did you find what you needed, my lord?" the tresora asked

Will you die for her? the monk’s voice mocked inside his head

"Yes," he told thearden, where Werren stood alone by the fountain "Where are the other women?"

"It matters not" She bent to pluck a white rose and twirled it between her fingers "If you wish to escape, I will not stop you But you will not use any of us"

"I forgot, she has Kyn hearing," Sa as you ht now, they won’t see or hear us"