ra

ts neither o

s throat his breathing was rag

please do not." The word cam

hip three years of tru

ord to his neck in the

, this time not as his

t my voice forcing aut

"if I speak he will k

closer "so

for the time he realiz

ragged Corran back to Silvercrest

spread through the palace before I e

one of Silvercrests own

as though someone had informed him bef

hardened when

ugh leave him to m

my prisoner if anyone que

ing dangerous flickered behind Re

wish "

ed, only Corran, myself and

glancing toward the door as though he feared someone

se whoever he feared had

finally his r

se made to the old blood

id if she ever re

crashed backward foam spilled from the corn

" he

gers clawed desperately toward me

aped his lips "rin

rrived momen

poison vial,

twice then slow

him was already

like the servant ex

ing before they coul

their tracks anymore th

tudying every movement, every face, wh

ed outside briefly long enough I did not kno

the thought fel

t innocent then every decision I have made

on hollowed o

a blood-covered mes

rly collapsed "the

side me stopp

ng " he

rched "brin

t move instead he sl

anno

hy

Draven refuses to re

t then the messenge

ra, the man she truste

e people knew I believed

a

se

rson who m