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"I know."

She studied me. "You are less sad now."

"I am."

"Good."

The word was simple and certain.

I sat down beside her.

“What do you want?” She asked abruptly, her eyes never leaving the twins.

"I need you to go to Urasal."

She sucked thoughtfully on the sweet before looking back at the twins.

“I would not make a very good child-watcher. They are nice to look at, but I prefer creatures.” Her voice was calm, matter-of-fact.

I choked back a laugh. “I am not asking you to be their nanny.”

“Then what exactly are you asking of me?” She sighed. “People always want something. So tell me what you want.”

Before I could answer, she spoke again. "Is someone making me leave?"

"No."

"Then why?"

I hesitated. "Because there are things I have to do," I said finally. "And I would rather know you are somewhere safe while I do them."

She rolled the sweet from one side of her mouth to the other.

"I am difficult to kill."

"I know."

"And if I say no?"

"I will not force you."

She considered that.

"How long?"

"I do not know."

She sighed dramatically.

"I dislike not knowing."

"So do I."

She turned to look at me for the first time since I sat down.

"How did you step through the ward?" I asked. "When you came to Urasal. Colsar said he saw you do it.”

She considered the question as though deciding how much of the answer to give. "My mother banked some of my feeder blood from when I was a baby. Feeder blood is one of the few things that can make one strong enough to leave Morrath."