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of its hold, and I’d expended quite a bit of that energy in pacing. Now, though, when I might soon need every scrap of strength I could find … Pacing was no longer a good idea, so I simply sat and fretted.
    When the sound of the door being unlocked came, it was something of a surprise. I’d spent so long getting myself used to the idea of waiting … When the time for the need was abruptly over, I found myself on my feet without remembering the process of standing. If this was Lanir, things could start happening at any moment. The door opened and it was the noble, and—
    “My dear child, how very lovely you look,” he said, taking only a single step into the room, his gaze moving slowly over me. “I will be the envy of all my friends, though only a few of them are invited to dine with us tonight. Those few will have their own lovely companions with them rather than their wives, of course, to round out the company in a proper way. My own lady wife is currently at one of our country houses, so you need have no fear of being forced to endure an embarrassing confrontation. Come, let us repair to the dining room.”
    He held out his hand to me, and if I’d never seen stark desire in a man’s eyes before, I was certainly seeing it now. For my own part I felt weak with relief, as the man was completely closed to the power. Just the way all those people at the palace had been, including the Fire magic member of the Seated Blending. Was this … ignoring of one’s talent something all nobles did for a particular reason? I spent only an instant wondering, and then I began to walk toward my … host.
    By the time we reached the dining room, I’d regained control of myself. The house Lanir led me through was enormous, at least three times the size of mine by the look of all the rooms we passed. Lanir chatted on and on, happily telling me what a wonderful life I would have with him. I would be required to remain in that house at all times, of course, but would not be disturbed by anyone—even the children I bore. The infants would be given over into the care of wet nurses, and would be housed elsewhere.
    “And the children will certainly have no rivals for my attention,” he continued as we walked down a rather long hall on the ground floor. “After years of marriage my wife has proven barren, and my few companions were unable to produce offspring of more than Middle talent. None of the women was a High herself, of course, which certainly made the difference.”
    “What if the difference was you rather than them?” I asked in my most innocent tone, paying more attention to the artwork on the walls than to the man whose arm my hand rested on. “We both know I’m a High, but from the little I’ve seen, there’s no such guarantee about you.”
    Out of the corner of my eye I saw him part his lips, probably to remind me what his position was. A flash of anger had caused the urge, but both anger and urge died together when he realized I might be right. He hadn’t earned his marvelous position, and denying that particular truth would be useless.
    “We’ll be taking our meal in the small dining room,” he said after a moment instead, obviously trying to maintain his good mood. “Afterward we’ll socialize a short while just to be polite, but then we’ll send our guests home and retire to your bedchamber. I’m quite looking forward to beginning the first of our … association.”
    He touched my hand briefly with that, the expression in his eyes matching the words, but this time I held my tongue. Only after I’d baited him had it come to me that his anger might have made him reach for the power, which meant I’d been a fool to say what I had. I really did need to learn to watch my words, at least while in the position of being surrounded by enemies.
    A short way down the hall there were double doors standing open, and as we approached I could hear music being played and voices in conversation rising slightly above