p befor

develop when sleeping to

lain shirt that swam on me, boots that fit better than they should have for a guess. I n

me more than i

o my waistband and op

und was in that particular quiet that exists just bef

toward t

e up e

un a

d the kind of face that had been beautiful once and was now something better - interesting. Lived-in. The eyes were shar

," I said. That al

wall. "I'm Mara. I run the househo

ar

t - that particular searching quality. Like she was looking for something specifi

said. Simply.

n't n

lost enough blood to matter." S

lowed

stop doing that with

m and loud and noth

le who treated food as serious business. They looked up when I walked in. The conversation didn

front of me before

at smelled like it had be

decision indepen

at

twenty, with a wide grin and absolutely no survival in

a's voice. F

saying w

or

corner of his eye with the barely-contained curiosity of someone who had s

t him dire

nked.

Ask it. I'd rather answer

Mara. She ga

it true you've been runnin

es

lo

es

bed that

eful

laugh out of him.

p from her food yet - said quietly, "Why didn'

oren. Dark eyes. A bruise fading along

s with a price," I said. "And I stop

then. Really

between us that d

Went back

the stove with an expres

before I reac

ose. The kind of conversation that w

tside the ha

ing a stranger in, no warning, no

." Kael's voice. Quiet as

people tracked her here. They know she crossed the border. W

d boundary di

ation. You know that." A pause. "Send h

le

that ha

door open a

road man with a scar through his eyebrow who had to be Dax. An

s like a blade that had alrea

at door and her expression didn't c

said. "You di

to knock on. Nobody in

aid. A word th

him. Kept looking at

t of

know where

ou don't know me." I met her eyes. "But you should know that Rhen's people were at your border long before I got here. I have four years of his movements, his alliances, and his wea

was ver

confident for someone who sh

at killed my father." I held her gaze without blin

mething rumbling before it dec

ooked

s looki

g, the enormous something. But this time the

ed like

t to do with that

ugh to be useful. After that I'll go wherever I need to go." I looked around the table. "But

le

the grey-templed one who hadn't sa

o," he sa

at sett

once. Slow.

at me one last time

us regret it

alked

ched

Kael still watching me. Still wearing

?" I

ng," h

n't no

th kn