brightening the stars in the sky as she moved toward him with inherent grace and elegance.
She pushed the cowl back off her head with a fine-boned hand and her serious blue-gray gaze met his. A touch of his previous euphoria returned. Sheâd come to see him.
Samba moved closer to Ruis, setting a portion of her considerable rump on his boot-toe.
DâSilverFir stopped a meter from them. âMerry meet, Ruis Elder,â she murmured, âGreetyou, Fam.â
Samba lifted her nose. I am Ssssamba.
DâSilverFirâs brows lowered as she tried to decipher the catâs words. âSamba.â The GrandLady dipped her head politely.
Samba twitched her whiskers in regal response.
DâSilverFir studied the cat, and amusement flashed across her face. âIâm glad DâAsh gave you the Fam,â she said to Ruis.
Now he bent his head in courtesy. âMe, too.â His sense of drama and contrariness welled up. âDidnât you mean to address me as Ruis, calling himself âElderâ?â
A flush pinkened her cheeks. She stood straighter. âI reviewed your case, the Heraldâs report, and read the notes TâReed took of your trialâhe has a famous memory.â
âAnd you judged me guilty.â
âNo, noââ She stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm, then swayed.
Ruis grasped her shoulders, but to his amazement she leaned inward, against him. âDâSilverFir?â
She mumbled something against his chest.
âDâSilverFir?â he asked again.
She looked up at him with wide eyes and trembling mouth. âThis effectâthis thingââ
âMy Nullness,â he said harshly, tightening his grip around her shoulders to set her aside.
She clutched the wide lapels of his shirt, then shivered. âNo. Donât. Itâs strangeâbut comforting. Wonderful.â
âMy Nullness is wonderful?â he stated, expressionless, fearing to believe she meant her words.
âOne moment.â She sucked in a breath, then took a small step away from him.
Heâd been stationary for several minutes, so his Nullness would be spreading out from him, affecting about a meter radius. She was within range, yet showed no signs of strain. Amazing.
âThe effects of your Nullness are interesting,â she said.
He crossed his arms. âAnd terrible.â
âNo.â
âAs I am terrible.â
âNo,â she said.
He raised his brows. âSo you didnât judge me guilty?â
Her gaze searched his face. âDid you steal?â
âTo survive. Always to survive.â
Though her features froze into a sterner aspect, an aspect natural to a judge, her voice was soft. âI understand.â
âNo, you donât.â He uncrossed his arms and stared down at her. âYou canât possibly understand my life. Youâre DâSilverFir, chosen to be the head of your Family when a baby. That means you have exceptional Flairâbecause thatâs how heirs are designated. So youâre very powerful.â
An unamused smile twitched on and off her lips. âIn Flair, yes. Nothing else. Iâve always known my duties and responsibilities to my Family as DâSilverFir must come first.â
âWhat kind of Flair do you have?â
âTelempathy.â
âI understand,â he replied, using her own phrase. He could no more understand her Flairâfeeling the emotions and thoughts of othersâthan she could understand his life without it.
Her eyes met his and he thought of mist, and the loneliness of being lost in it.
âIntellectually,â she said, âI know being a Null molded you, how it defined your life, the hardships you must have faced.â
He shrugged, but was impressed she was still with him, and showed no indication of being disturbed by his Nullness.
She leaned in and sniffed at the skin exposed by the open collar of his
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