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"Reenie," said Dorian, far too cheerful for so rapidly "I can take as much pain as I can dole out--and you certainly kno ht the e to carry out the other plans with caution There was also, I suspected, a joke in there about some of Dorian’s sexual preferences, which tended to run toward BDSM I had little appreciation for the weak atteth I had to reood chance I’d fall toany loyalty to you," I told her "And I’ to use the Iron Crown on your behalf That answer’s not going to change"

"Suit yourself," she said "We’ll see what you say later today" She gave us a wave of dismissal "Take thee another ith Dorian because ere both hurried out too quickly The urge to unleash a storht it back I would do this right So, I allowed my escort to take avethe door Glancing around, I saw that someone had left a covered meal tray on my palette I lifted the lid and found a piece of bread and some water--and a rat that quickly darted off the tray Talk about adding insult to injury

"Oh," I said "That’s just lovely"

Yet, before I finished speaking, I noticed so weird about the rat--mainly, that it wasn’t actually a rat Instead, it was a rat-sized ht my breath

"No way Kiyo?"

The rat-fox scurried to the center of my cell Withinbefore uards to co in Then, I had to reic would not be readily detectable to gentry

"How’d you do that?" I asked Kiyo "Did a ive you a shrink ray?"

He smiled, but his eyes looked tired "Afraid not It’s just another variation on the shape-shifting, just like I can turn into a super-sized fox I’ve just never had much reason for the s around a palace"

"I thought you were a rat," I admitted

"So did one of the cooks in the kitchen I have a new respect for broouys escaped? Where’s everyone else? Are they okay?"

He leaned against the wall and ran a hand through his dark hair "The chains couldn’t stop me, especially once I shape-shifted Once I had a ot the chains off everyone else, and then we just kind of busted our way out in the night Why haven’t you done that?"

"Would if I could," I s First, it was you guys Then she tacked on the destruction of ood ot Dorian with torturers and his execution penciled in" I gave hi

"You were smart not to act then," said Kiyo, when I was finished "Dorian’s strong He’ll hold out"

I wondered if Kiyo meant that or if he just didn’t really care about Dorian suffering "You never told me where the others are"

"Hidden in the city," Kiyo said "Your Hemlock friends helped us find a safe place"

"Heht went off "You’re Alea’s scout, aren’t you? You’ve been looking for the room with the talismans"

"Found it," he said, in a manner far too casual for the iet to a lot when you’re rat-sized"

"Is it in the basement, like Alea said?"

"Well, yes, but there are a bunch of baseround as it does above The roouards The objects are inside, in two collections, surrounded by soic isn’t uess One for the lands actually in the blight and one for those who’ve sworn allegiance But obviously, she’d still keep their tokens around as leverage"

Kiyo nodded "That’s what I thought too Not sure if this hted pile wasin"