I refuse." Proctor clenched his fists, white-hot anger coursing through him. "My son is not a piece of meat for you to barter away."His father gave him an arctic, bland look. "As I said," he stated, "having a Bearer in the family is quite fortunate. We must be prepared to make the most advantageous match for Mirian."Proctor glowered at the older man, unable to believe what he was hearing. He had known Duke Lamine was cold-hearted, but he hadn't expected anything like this. In hindsight, he should have known better.Mirian was only three years old, but already, it was suspected that he might be a Bearer. It was far too soon to make an even remotely accurate guess, but Proctor's heart told him that this was the case. Duke knew that too, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that he would already want to make preparations.Proctor hated it. Mirian was so much like his beloved wife Miranda that it sometimes hurt to look at him. His marriage to Miranda had been arranged, but in the end, they'd loved one another in their own way.
