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She still didn’t look at hi But Mo went on in the voice she loved soher to sleep, comforted her when she was sick, and told her stories about the mother who had disappeared

"I just want you to pro," he said "You and your one The two of you can’t go back There’s no trusting Orpheus’s words!

But the Prince will protect you, and so will the Strong Man He’s promised me on his brother’s life, and he’s certainly a ie? Whatever happens stay with the robbers Don’t go to Oht if they take ht if I found out that you tere in danger Proie bowed her head so that he wouldn’t read her answer in her eyes No No, she wasn’t going to make him any proie glanced over at herMan was beside her Unlike Meggie, he had forgiven Resa once Mo had coie, please listen to ht the ed, too His voice sounded as serious and down-to-earth as if he were discussing a school trip with her

"If I don’t colio to write words to take you and your otten how to do it entirely, after all Then you can read his words and take the three of you back, you and Resa -- and your brother"

"Brother? I want a sister,"

"Ah, do you?" Noas shter, too

My first has grown too big to be picked up in my arms

They looked at each other, and there were so ie wanted to say, but not one that really expressed what she was feeling

"Who’s going to take the letter to the castle?" she asked quietly

"We don’t know yet," replied Mo "It won’t be easy to find someone who’ll be allowed access to Violante"

Three days to go froet the letter and the Piper would accept the tered him as hard as she used to when she was a so! Please! Let’s all go back Resa was right!"

"Go back? Meggie! Go back now, just when it’s getting exciting?" he whispered to her So he hadn’t changed so very s were getting too serious She loved him so much

Mo took her face between his hands He looked at her as if he were going to say soht she read in his eyes that he was as frightened for her sake as she was for his

"Believeto that castle to protect you