He tried to hold his voice to a bantering level, failed, and thought: God help us.

"Easy for you to say," Prudence said, holding her voice to a slow, cold beat.

It was all he could do to hold his voice together.

Elbryan thought to call out for her, but indecision held his voice and kept him from immediately following.

He was holding his voice down to a dead level, and it was not easy.

He gulped, trying to hold his voice to a whisper.

"As you wish, lord," he said, holding his voice even.

But he held his voice under tight control.

He held his voice down, and managed to keep the venom out of it.

He was holding me against him, his voice hot in my ear.