"It's a fairly common term of endearment in Morentia. Sort of the way your people use 'honey' and 'darling'. If I called someone 'honey' back home, they would wonder if I took a knock to the head. It's a peculiar term to use on a person."
"No stranger than calling someone 'bunny'," Astira replied, and they shared a brief smile before she moved away and picked at her food. "Do you think he is alive?"
"I do not want to give you false hope..." At the tearful look that overtook her face again, Omar hastened to add, "but if I were going to kidnap such a powerful man, I would keep him alive. He has information, wealth, and connections to much more of both. The longer they keep him alive, the more they can get out of him-and if they kidnapped him to stop or delay his armies, then killing him wi
