“I’m getting you out of here,” he said as he started to lift her. Then he realized her hand was still clamped around the bladed stick. “Sweetheart, let go of the stick.”

“Have to clean…the blades. Can’t…put a weapon away…without cleaning the blades. Lucivar…would skin me.”

Daemon almost gave her his succinct opinion about that, but glancing over his shoulder at the hacked-up woman, he swallowed any criticism he might have had about Lucivar’s training methods. “I’ll clean the blades. And I promise I’ll never tell Lucivar you didn’t do it yourself.”

Karla’s lips curved in the barest of smiles. “You’d be likable if…you weren’t so male.”

“My Queen likes me that way,” Daemon said dryly. He vanished the bladed stick, carefully lifted Karla, and turned.

Her Master of the Guard blocked the doorway. “What are you doing with my Queen?”

“Taking her away from here,” Daemon answered quietly. “She’s been poisoned. She needs help.”

“We have Healers.”

“Would you trust them?” Daemon saw the moment’s hesitation. “I have no quarrel with you, Prince. Don’t force me to go through you.”

The other man studied him, focused on the Black-Jeweled Ring. “You’re Lady Angelline’s Consort.”

“Yes.”

The man stepped aside. As Daemon passed him, he said quietly, “Please take care of her.”

“I will.” Daemon paused. “Have you seen Morton?”

The Master of the Guard shook his head.

There was no time to think about Morton or what might have happened to him. “If you see him, tell him I’m taking Karla to Scelt. Don’t tell anyone but Morton.”

The man nodded. “Come this way. There’s a Craft-powered carriage out back. It’ll get you to the Winds faster.”

The Master of the Guard drove the carriage while Daemon held Karla, using those precious minutes to wrap Black shields around her to protect her during the ride on the Winds. They stopped a few feet from where he had landed.

“May the Darkness embrace you, Prince,” the man said.

“And you.” Wrapping his arms around Karla, Daemon caught the Black Wind and rode hard toward Scelt.

He stopped once, halfway there, to send a message to Khary. *I’m on my way back with Karla. She’s been poisoned. We’ll need a Healer and a Black Widow. The best you have.*

*Jaenelle’s on her way here,* Khary replied.

That was all he needed to know. He caught the Black Wind again and continued the journey, knowing the sand in the hourglass was trickling away far too fast.

10 / Kaeleer

Sight shielded, Kaelas and twenty Arcerian males crouched on the roofs of the human dens, watching the bad winged males move around the village. Some of the dens had lights now that night had closed around them, and he could smell food cooking.

*Meat?* one of the Arcerian Warlords asked.