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"What news?" Omort said when she reached the steps to the dais As usual, Hettiah sih her features

and Sabine's were silamorous and beautiful Sabine

Lanthe cleared her throat Sabine went deed a two-pointer! No, too blase "Our sister was successful," she said instead "She's taken the deers hite clutching the arold Hettiah noted the reaction with a doleful look

His eyes darted to the east wall of the throne room- which was covered with stone tablets They were covenants, tabletsinto any of a variety of dark pacts, with the terms inscribed in the stone for all to see

The four iance to each other-O of the fire deaze was fixed on Sabine's tablet It was a Sanctuary-an ancient Sorceri covenant that ensured as long as she kept her body "pure," no inity instead of any intercourse unwanted or unnatural

If a tablet fell from the wall and broke, all would know that soree with dread for Sabine's to break- proof positive that she was having sex with Rydstrom

"The de?"

Lanthe shrugged "Half an hour, I guess" "I see your sister isn't having as easy a time as she'd predicted," Hettiah said with a smirk

"No, that's not true, Hettiah" It hadn't happened yet, but of course it would soon "I' with hied bird "

The de hand over his aze raking Sabine's body, Rydstro steps His eyes were growing black once e or both?

She assumed that he would try to escape, would likely seek to use her as a hostage, unless she could

seduce hiht she still had a chance-he couldn't hide his body's reaction to her Yet the conflict was plain on his face

Rydstrom didn't knohether to claiain from this?"

"I told you"

''No, you personally Your kind looks down on mine Why would you ever want to wed a deaze "Is O over you to compel you to do this? Has he imprisoned a family member? Alover?"

Sabine could tell howforced into this "No, he has no one that I hold dear iin the prophecy

Foretold centuries ago, it stated that if the Queen of Illusions bore the heir of the fallen king of the rage demons, that prince would unlock a source of incon-

ceivable power If she didn't, the Pravus would fall to