“I believe it is,” Daemon replied mildly. “Lucivar and Chaosti made it. It should be just about done.”

“They made wildwood stew?”

“I believe that’s what it’s called.”

Jaenelle eyed him. “I suppose you’re hungry.”

Even if he had never picked up a cue before in his life, he couldn’t have missed that one. “Actually, I am. Do you think we could wait until after dinner before heading to Amdarh?”

Jaenelle turned her head away from him, but not enough that he couldn’t see her lick her lips. “It wouldn’t take that long to have a bowl of stew. Or two,” she added as she hurried toward the guardhouse.

Daemon lengthened his stride to keep up, and wondered how much of a tussle the males were going to have in order to get their fair share.

6 / Kaeleer

Kartane burst into Jorval’s dining room. “Is that bitch alive?” he demanded.

Jorval hurried toward him while a man Kartane had never seen before sat at the table and just stared.

“Lord Kartane,” Jorval said anxiously. “If I’d known the healing would be done so soon, we would have waited din—”

“Damn you, just answer the question! Is she alive?”

“Lady Angelline? Yes, of course she’s alive. Why do you ask? Didn’t she arrive?”

“She arrived,” Kartane snarled.

“I don’t understand,” Jorval said, almost wailing. “She’s the best Healer in the Realm. If she—”

“SHE’S THE ONE WHO DID THIS TO ME!”

Jorval’s shocked look was quickly replaced by a sly one. “I see. Please, come and join us. I can see you’ve had a distressing afternoon. Perhaps some food and company will help.”

“Nothing will help until that bitch is made to heel,” Kartane snapped, accepting a chair at the table and a quickly filled glass of wine. He glared at the other man, who continued to stare at him.

“Lord Kartane,” Jorval said smoothly, “may I present Lord Hobart? He, too, has reasons to want to see Jaenelle Angelline subdued.”

“Not just Jaenelle Angelline,” Hobart growled.

“Oh?” Kartane said, pushing his anger aside as his interest in Hobart sharpened.

“Lord Hobart had controlled the Territory of Glacia for several years,” Jorval said. “When his niece became the Territory Queen—”

“The ungrateful bitch EXILED me!” Hobart shouted.

“And you want to regain control,” Kartane said, starting to lose interest.

Then Jorval added, “Lady Karla is a close friend of Jaenelle’s.”

Kartane randomly selected food from the dishes offered as he nibbled on that bit of information. There was nothing he would have liked better right then than to hurt a close friend of the bitch. “I may be able to help. My mother is the High Priestess of Hayll.”

Not only didn’t Hobart look sufficiently impressed, he looked distinctly uneasy. He cleared his throat. “It’s a generous offer, Lord Kartane. A very generous offer, but…”