The Element of Fire, page 171 by Martha Wells
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els and the cornerposts of this house?" he asked her, keeping his voice low.
She held her hand out, to show him the fresh cut across the white skin of her palm, and thought, He has such dark eyes, like velvet. She was starting to blush again, for no accountable reason. To distract herself, she asked, "What happened while you were gone?"
He regarded her for a moment. "What is it for?"
God, can no one answer a direct question? She folded her arms and looked at the floor. "To keep fay out. To let them know I'm in here, and that I'm not receiving visitors."
"Will it work?"
She shook her head. "Not that well. The ones it will keep out wouldn't be that difficult to deal with anyway. But it's something."
"Why did you choose here, and not one of the other buildings?"
Not wanting to answer, she began to tap one foot in growing irritation. He waited. Finally she looked up and said, "I like it here. There, are you happy?"
He said, "Delighted," and went into Ravenna's room.
Well, I handled that brilliantly, Kade thought. A soft noise made her glance back and she saw Falaise standing in the doorway to her room. She was wearing a pale blue heavily embroidered mantua and her hair hung like a chestnut curtain. She looked like a startled fawn. "What is it?" Kade asked her, temporarily distracted.
Falaise made a noise like a strangled gasp and vanished back into her room.
Kade followed her. Inside was the tumbled splendor of a parlor attached to a small bedchamber, three ladies-in-waiting looking up at them in surprise. Falaise stopped in the middle of the room and shrieked, "Out! I want to be alone." It wasn't the full-throated bellow Ravenna was capable of but it worked well enough. As the gentlewomen scurried for the door, Kade stayed where she was, correctly surmising that the order had not been directed at her.
As soon as the door closed behind the last woman, Falaise seized a wine glass from the table and dashed its