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She placed a hand on his arh this I’m not afraid"

"I know you’re not," he told her, and admitted, "I am"

"Don’t be"

"We have to end this Quickly," he told her

"We will," she said

"Strange," Lucian randdaughter who actually has the answers," Lucian said "And she just hasn’t realized that she has them, that they’re there, in her mindor in her dreams" He locked the door as they left the roo the stable door after the horse had been stolen

Louisa stood by the great hearth, leaned against the stone, watching as the flames rose and danced As he walked into the room, she turned to him, a smile on her face, arms crossed over her chest "All is well," she assured him

"What have you done, where have you been?"

"OhI picked up this evening’s supper, that’s all," she assured hi man From under the very nose of our ene man, from Lucian DeVeau’s wife"

For a moment, his heart leaped"And Lucian’s wife?"

Louisa’s lashes flicked over her eyes and a look of irritation crossed her beautiful features "What about her?"

"You didn’t bring her here?"

She looked at him coolly "No"

"If we had her--"

"What about you?" Louisa inquired "Did you do as you said you would? Where is the DeVant girl?"

"She will be co," he said Then he reminded her, "It’s the old hter I want"

"Wellas I see it, you haven’t the old ed to be a little subtle upon arising, I would have taken care of everything" Louisa smiled, and waved a hand to indicate the home he had chosen so carefully "Look around you

Since I have couarded We are safe And each day, our strength grows You cannot bring the for us! Don’t worry, ine I have done so So you mustn’t instruct me further I will instruct you"

"You little fool! You are re!" "I don’t need to remember," she told him "You were sealed away," he re were agony" She lifted her chin"And what of the years in between,for me"

"It was almost impossible, you know" His irritation died suddenly "The years in betweenwere nothing Practice for the changing ti her into his arms "I learned how and when to use power," he said softly "Alwayswaiting for you" She s like a cat within his arms "I feel so very well our little arht again, hours ahead, ether" He bent to kiss her Her words stopped him "You were her lover," she said softly He was impatient "I needed to know her" "You cared about her, you enjoyed yourself" "I enjoyedfor you"

"She dies, the second she comes to us" "She does not die; she is bait, for the other" "I will irl," Louisa said icily "I--alone Do you think I have never traveled by daylight? That I am so weak I could not follow in your steps on occasion? Did you think at all that I ht not see you, as you pretended to be who you were not, as you spoke, so reasonablywatched her as wellhungered?"

"She is the one," he said simply "The one who must be stopped"

"Then I will stop her"

"I have been the one laying the trap I will stop her"

"No, my love"

"Jealousy has no place here," he said firmly

"Neither does your lust," she replied

He let out a sigh of impatience "Louisa! I plotted, I planned, I crept low and carefully in these surroundings, seeking to release you, longing to be with you, to rule and reign with you again, in our secret world A dangerous world, which must be solved nowbefore we move on Let’s finish them