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"And yet here you are, ready to march with Hybern"

"I did it for you, too, you know" Cold, hard words "I ith hiet you back"

"I never realized what a powerful uilt can be"

"That day you--went away," he said, struggling to avoid that other word--left "I beat Tae ere out on the border and raced here But the only trace of you was that ring, ot rid of it a , careful statement Of the facts that pointed not toward abduction

"They er," I lied

His throat bobbed, but he just shook his head, the sunlight leaking through the forest canopy setting the e

We sat in silence for , the royals were finishing up, and I bracedthe words I’d need to wield without see to Hybern to get ht "It was a trap What I thought ere to do there … it did not turn out that way"

It was an effort not to bareup a place at his side against the wide trunk of the tree "This situation is terrible," I said, and it was the truth

A low snort

I knockedit to feel out any weaknesses between us"

"I know"

I turned ainst his in silent demand "Why?" I asked "Why does Hybern want to do this beyond some horrible desire for conquest? What drives hiance?"

Lucien finally looked at s on the h and Dagdan shoved through the bushes, frowning to find us sitting there

But it was Jurian--right on their heels, as if he’d been divulging the details of his surveying--who sht of us, knee to knee and nearly nose to nose

"Careful, Lucien," the warrior sneered "You see what happens to s"

Lucien snarled, but I shot hilare

Point proven, I said silently

And despite Jurian, despite the sneering royals, a corner of Lucien’sat the stables e returned

She’d rand arrival at the end of breakfast hours before, breezing into the dining rooh the s