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Kermilla wasn’t like the Queen who had tortured Gray Shewasn’t But she’d ment that would not be fixed easily If he could fix it at all
“Theran?” Kerainst him “Theran, I’m sorry about this little trouble”
“One of your men died That’s not a little trouble,” he said wearily “Talon, the ainst you That’s not a little trouble The fact that Talon isn’ta distinction between kindred and huhed “In a couple of days, every Warlord Prince is going to know that you sent ato care if you intended to take a boy or a dog”
She snuggled down and put her head on his shoulder “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know” He put his arive “I really don’t know”
Ranon stood in the parlor doorway, unable to take that last step into the rooave hi Darkreeting but also didn’t challenge his presence
A hesitant touch of a hand on his back He turned and followed Shira to the healing room in the Residence As soon as she closed the door, he pulled her into his arms and held on
“I was ashamed that the least of them had chosen me,” he whispered into her hair “I felt embarrassed when Ferall and the others saw him that day And now”
“Hush, Ranon, hush,” she said as she stroked his back
“Is he co back to us, Shira?”
“I don’t know, but I’m hopeful”
He eased back enough to rest his forehead against hers “Where is everyone?”
“Gray took Cassie upstairs She’s distraught Powell has been in his office since you left The rest of the First Circle and the guards have been patrolling the village in shifts I sent Reyhana and Janos to your grandfather for the night They spent hours in the parlor this evening, taking turns readingSceltie Saves the Day, and they both needed to be away for a while Vae and Darkmist have been here all the tio out with one of the men to patrol”
“Shira”
“He’s hiding under your shirt” She said the words quickly, as if she needed to silence any questions she couldn’t answer “Vae thinks that’s a good sign because he’s been et hi but the tip of his nose now”
“I’ht once that lasted a whole day It was a relentless battle on a killing field, so ere all co Barely had time for a sip of water or a mouthful of food in the rare spaces between one enemy and the next When I finally walked off that field, I didn’t feel this tired”
“Co his face “We’ll take Khollie up with us Maybe we’ll both get a little rest that way”
He followed her back into the parlor and very carefully lifted the bundle hidden in his shirt They went up to their room, and he tucked Khollie on the bed between them
The last thing he reers with Shira
Ranon?
A scared little whisper of a voice, but enough to have his eyes opening to stare at the bedroo
Ranon?
Ranon turned his head to look at the bundle on the bed Khollie?
Pinching a little of the shirt, he eased it back until he could see the dog’s head—and the dark eyes staring at him
Hey, little brother We orried about you
Khollie peered at his surroundings I am on the bed I am not supposed to be on the bed It is a Shira rule
I know But she said you were allowed this one time
Ranon? I need a tree