Meg frowned. "So why doesn't she just bring the portal mage through as well? That's what he wants, isn't it?"

"There must be more to it than that. Maybe the monsters come from someplace that's easier to reach or something."

Suddenly she realized what he was saying. "When you say *somewhere else,' you don't just mean another country or some distant island across the ocean, do you?"

He shook his head. "No. I mean someplace that's not part of this world."

Not part of this world. "She's very powerful, isn't she, Calen?"

"It seems she is."

"And she learned everything from a book?"

"You can learn a lot from a book," he said. "I've been discovering that myself over the past few weeks. But with that other mage teaching her as well . . . that would explain why she's able to do the things she can do."

"He doesn't seem to have been a very good influence," Meg said. "He's even more evil than she is. Those things he said. I wonder what he meant about Queen Lysetta." There had been scores of theories about what had happened to Lysetta, but she was pretty certain none of them had involved a secret portal mage with a diabolical plan to take over the world, or whatever he was planning. She wondered if he'd lured Lysetta down into that secret pa.s.sage somehow, tricking her or threatening her or promising her something she wanted like he seemed to be doing with Sen Eva. Or maybe he'd had other helpers back then who carried out his orders and trapped the poor young queen alone and frightened in that dark and secret cell. . . .

A movement in the darkness caught Meg's eye and wrenched her back to the present. Her heart pounded painfully within her chest, and she realized with profound regret that she was not, in fact, too tired to be terrified, after all.

Calen had seen it too; she felt him stiffen beside her. They didn't bother to speak or move. If it was Sen Eva, they were already dead. It seemed to take forever for the dark shape to materialize into the welcome form of Mage Serek.

"How a"" Calen began, but fell silent immediately at his master's sharp shake of his head. Wordlessly Calen rose to his feet, then bent to help Meg to hers. Standing was much harder than she would have liked. Calen reached an arm around her waist and supported as much of her weight as he could. As soon as they were up, Serek turned and began to walk swiftly and silently back the way he had come. Calen and Meg followed as quickly as they could.

Calen was practically carrying her, yet it took all her strength and concentration to keep moving forward. This wouldn't do; if they encountered any trouble, neither of them would be able to run or fight this way. Jakl had rested; he could probably help to strengthen her again. Closing her eyes, she tried to draw on the link. But although she could sense the dragon's energy, it didn't seem to help. Whatever Calen had taken from her had left her weak in a way that Jakl's strength could not restore.

Mage Serek led them down another dark hallway that looked just the same as all the other dark hallways, then stopped and touched the wall. A panel slid open, creating a doorway into a" of course a" another dark hallway. Serek waved them through and then stepped in, closing the panel behind them. Meg felt annoyance try to well up inside her; why didn't she know about these secret pa.s.sages? She'd lived here a lot longer than Serek. But she was definitely too exhausted to deal with that now. She made a mental note to be annoyed about it later and kept moving.

Several dark hallways later, Calen suddenly stopped. Meg's eyes fluttered open a" she had been relying on Calen to guide her, and besides, there wasn't really anything to see down here anyway a" and she looked ahead. And up. And up. At the enormous spiral staircase winding tightly and endlessly up into the gloom. She fought the urge to mutter something very unladylike and looked over at Calen. He was looking back at her, concerned. As usual. "You know," she whispered with a small smile, "if you keep that up, eventually your face is going to freeze that way."

"What?"

"Never mind." She shook her head wearily. "I can't do this."

"Can't Jakl a"?"

"I already tried. It's a different sort of weakness. He can't seem to help."

Mage Serek had already begun to climb. "Serek," Calen called softly after him.

Serek turned back impatiently. He really was always in a bad mood, it seemed. Or at least at the edge of one. There was no need to explain; Meg could see him taking in the situation with a glance. He hesitated, then lifted one hand and waved it before him, palm facing out.

Meg's exhaustion abruptly vanished. She gasped with the sudden shock of it. It wasn't completely gone, not all of it a" she was still tired a" but it was the kind of tired you could force yourself to overcome.

Serek had already continued moving up the stairs. Meg took a breath and started up herself. Calen followed a few steps behind her. He seemed to have benefited from Serek's spell as well. She wasn't sure how long they went on that way, like ghosts drifting silently through the walls of the castle. She tried not to think about anything except putting one foot in front of the other, moving ever closer to whatever destination Serek was leading them to. Surely her and Calen's work was done now and the adults would take over, anyway. She didn't think she had ever been more ready to hand over responsibility to someone else. Maybe one day she'd be fully capable of handling this kind of thing, but not yet. She was still too young, too inexperienced, too . . . tired a" G.o.ds, when were these stairs ever going to end? She risked a glance up and almost collided with Mage Serek, who had stopped on the landing that was now directly before her. A second later, Calen b.u.mped into her from behind. Meg turned to grab and steady him as he lost his balance on the narrow steps and nearly fell backward down into the darkness. Calen swallowed and squeezed her hand gratefully. Serek shook his head in weary disgust, then turned and opened the small door at the edge of the landing.

They emerged into the open air. Meg blinked in the sudden brightness of the day. The afternoon sky was overcast, but after the endless darkness of the lower levels of the castle, it was like walking out onto the surface of the sun.

"Where are we?" she asked Serek in amazement.

"We're above the North Tower," he answered calmly. "You can look over the edge to see for yourself, but be careful about it; we don't want to draw attention to either your own sudden return or the presence of this place."

Meg crept forward and peeked over the edge of the stone wall that ringed the flat, open tower rooftop surface. The view was amazing; she could see everything from up here. Calen made a small, horrified sound beside her and sank to the ground. His face was slightly green.

Meg turned back toward Serek and opened her mouth to begin telling him about what they'd found, since it was apparently all right to talk out here, but he raised a hand to stop her before she got a word out. "Wait," he said. "Your parents and sisters will be here momentarily. You can tell us everything at the same time."

Her family. Suddenly she was overwhelmed with a desperate need to see them. To see them and touch them and tell them everything. No more secrets.

So they waited. Soon enough the door opened, and before she even had a moment to be terrified that it could be Sen Eva, Maerlie stepped into view, followed an instant later by Morgan, her mother, and her father. Meg didn't know if she had ever seen a more welcome sight. She rushed forward, feeling smaller and younger with each step, until by the time she reached Maerlie she was sure she had become a little child again, wishing for nothing other than to be swept into her sister's safe and welcoming arms.

Maer did indeed sweep her into a fierce hug, but a second later was pushing her away to arm's length, glaring at her with a mix of fury and relief and love and confusion and pain. And then she was pushed aside by Morgan and Mother and Father, and for a moment Meg was blissfully lost within the resulting tangle of arms and faces and bodies and group hugs in various combinations. Finally a quiet cough from Serek's general direction broke up the little reunion. Calen had gotten back to his feet and was now standing patiently beside his master. He was making a valiant effort to hide it, but she couldn't help but notice the wistful expression on his face as he watched her with her family. As the two groups converged in the center of the tower s.p.a.ce, Meg went to stand beside Calen, taking his hand firmly in her own. He was her family too, even if he didn't realize it. She would have to make sure he did come to realize it and that he was duly welcomed by the others. Calen and Jakl both.

SOMEONE MUST HAVE BROUGHT THE KING and queen up to date, Calen realized, because they didn't seem at all surprised to see Meg a" happy, certainly, and relieved, and concerned, but not surprised a" or shocked at any of the significant words and phrases Meg was cautiously mentioning in the course of her explanation . . . words like magic, and traitor, and murder, and even dragon. He wondered who that lovely responsibility had fallen to. Morgan, probably. He did not envy her.

Serek had led them all over to a shaded area with square and circular stone structures that Calen guessed were meant to function as chairs or tables or whatever anyone wanted them to be. Currently they were chairs. He sat quietly beside Meg, nodding or adding details when she asked him to but otherwise letting her have the telling of it. The spell Serek had worked at the base of the stairs was still in effect; Meg still looked a little tired, but she was definitely more her old self than she had been before, with her inner strength practically shining from her as she told the others about what they had seen in Sen Eva's room. Serek was paging through the diary as he listened, occasionally lifting an eyebrow or shaking his head slightly in what Calen interpreted to be extreme shock or astonishment at something he read.

"So I don't know what we should do at this point," Meg said now. "Sen Eva knows she's been discovered, and she certainly must suspect Calen and me, even if she doesn't know for sure. I don't see how she can proceed with her original plan now, but I can't imagine she's just going to give up, either."

"She cannot give up," Serek said without raising his eyes from the book. "She must succeed or die. She has left all other choices far behind."

"So the choices are ours, then," Meg's father said firmly. "We must decide how to act, and quickly. She will not allow us much time to debate."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, reflecting on this. Calen wondered if Meg noticed the way her family kept stealing glances at her, almost as if they weren't entirely certain who she was. He could sympathize. He was constantly aware of the ways in which Meg was different a" more a" than before, and he'd been with her while she changed. Her sisters and parents were seeing all the changes at once. Only Serek seemed unfazed. As usual.

"What choices do we have?" asked Maerlie. She seemed remarkably composed for someone who had recently learned she was the target of a murder plot. "Mage Serek, do you feel there's enough evidence against Sen Eva to alert the Magistratum?"

"Oh yes," said Serek, still without looking up. "There is no question that the woman's been practicing unmarked. And some very questionable practices, at that. It will take time for the council to act, however. I do not think we can wait and do nothing in the meantime."

"Agreed," said the queen. "Which brings us back to the question of what to do."

"We must detain her somehow," said the king. "Mage Serek, is there some way to prevent her from performing magic? Something you can do, perhaps?"

"If I could take her by surprise, I might be able to temporarily incapacitate her," Serek said. "But taking her by surprise at this point seems unlikely."

"What about Wilem?" Calen asked suddenly. All eyes turned to him, except Serek's, which were still locked on the book. Calen swallowed nervously and went on. "He wasn't with her; he might not know yet what's happened. What if we could get to him before she does?"

Meg got it instantly. "That's brilliant, Calen!" she said. "We can arrest him first and use him as leverage to get her to cooperate."

Maerlie looked shocked. "You're talking about using him as a hostage!"

"Well, yes!" said Meg, raising her voice ominously. Calen didn't think the others appreciated yet how strongly her anger at Wilem burned inside her. "Maerlie, he was going to kill you. Kill you and frame Prince Ryant and plunge our kingdoms back into war! How can you hesitate for even a second?"

"It's just, I don't a"" Maerlie looked to Morgan and her parents. "We don't do that sort of thing, do we? Wouldn't it be wrong?"

Meg rolled her eyes. "Don't think of it as taking a hostage. Think of it as arresting him for questioning."

Meg's parents looked at each other, considering. Maerlie still looked appalled. Calen guessed that the old Meg wouldn't have been quite as enthusiastic about this idea. Surprisingly, it was Morgan who spoke next.

"I think it's the best option we have," she said. "I don't like it, either, but Sen Eva might hesitate to act against us if she knows we're holding her son."

King Tormon nodded. "I am forced to agree," he said. He turned to look at Calen. "That was good thinking, Calen, and I thank you for suggesting it." Calen nodded, a little awed to have the king speak to him directly.

"Now," the king continued, "we must a""

Calen felt it just before it happened, a subtle change in the air around them. Serek did as well; Calen saw his master's head jerk up, his attention broken away from the diary at last, but too late, too late, too late. As before, Calen acted without thought, flinging out one hand in a protective gesture before him and pushing Meg behind him with the other. He was casting before he had even looked up to see the spell, and so by instinct and blind random impulse he thrust up some kind of shield, attempting to block whatever was coming. He tried to make it big enough to cover everyone, but he was too slow, or else she was too fast. His own hand had barely finished its desperate casting arc when Morgan, Maerlie, and the king and queen fell silently to the floor. And Serek a" Serek stumbled, his own protective spell half-formed and failing before him. The mage shook his head, dazed. Calen lifted his gaze to meet the cold stare of Sen Eva Lichtendor, who stood just beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs. Then Wilem stepped into view behind her, his face grim and determined. Calen felt Meg clutch his shoulder painfully, but she did not say a word.

So much for getting to Wilem first. Calen stole a glance at Serek. The mage had stopped shaking his head, which was good, but was still on the floor, which was less so. He must not have been able to fully block Sen Eva's spell. A small, bitter part of Calen swelled up with pride and a mean sort of joy at the notion that he had been able to resist Sen Eva's magic while his master had not. Calen did his best to ignore it. Despite what his selfish, secret heart might want to believe, he knew he wasn't stronger or more skilled than Serek. Quicker, perhaps. Although even that probably wouldn't be the case if not for Serek's magically granted burst of energy at the bottom of the stairs. . . .

Calen groaned inwardly at his incredible stupidity. The prideful little voice inside him fled into a shamed silence. Of course. Serek hadn't exactly been operating at full power. He'd certainly had to use some magic to locate them, and although Calen didn't know for certain how Serek had given him and Meg their strength back earlier, he suspected it had involved taking on some of that weakness himself. Calen felt as strong as he might have after a full night's sleep, which could mean Serek was feeling as though he'd gone without a night's sleep. Which hadn't left him enough strength to counteract Sen Eva's magic.

Which left Meg and Calen completely on their own.

Sen Eva stepped forward, though Calen noticed she was careful to stay far beyond arm's reach. Wilem hovered protectively behind her. Calen could practically feel Meg's hatred burning within her at Wilem's approach.

"You children have proved to be far more trouble than I ever would have imagined," Sen Eva said mildly.

"What have you done to my family?" Meg asked in a barely controlled voice.

Sen Eva looked down at where the others lay unmoving. "Relax, Princess," she said. "They merely sleep, to give me some time to decide what to do with them. And with you, of course." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Calen wasn't fooled. She'd already made her decision about them, at least. But would she really dare to kill the king and queen and their two eldest daughters as well? How could she imagine she would ever get away with such a thing?

"I hope you realize," she went on, looking back at Meg, "that if you had not interfered, only one of your sisters would have had to die. Now . . . that may no longer be the case."

Before Meg could respond, Serek spoke quietly from the floor beside them. "Do you know what the Magistratum will do to you when they find you?"

Sen Eva sneered with disdain. "Your Magistratum cannot touch me. I exist outside of their pointless laws and restrictions. How can you stand to allow yourself to be bound and hobbled by their decrees? There is so much more a"" She checked the rising emotion in her voice, then went on more calmly. "The one whose laws I follow knows what true power is, and how foolish it is to pretend to be less than we are. Why should we not do all that our abilities allow us to?"

"Do not dare to include yourself in our number," Serek said coldly. "You know nothing of what it means to dedicate yourself to the magical arts."

All amus.e.m.e.nt vanished from Sen Eva's face. "You are wrong, Mage Serek. I know better than anyone."

"She's right," Meg said suddenly. "Sen Eva has sacrificed many things to her magical studies, haven't you, Sen Eva? Why, you've had to live this whole secret life, and then there's the bowing and sc.r.a.ping before that creepy portal mage who's been teaching you a""

Sen Eva's face was white. She took a step forward before she could stop herself. Be quie a"" she began, but Meg continued right over her. Calen glanced at Wilem. He was looking at his mother with confusion, and what might be the beginnings of concern.

"And there's something else, something I'm forgetting." Meg went on. "Oh, right. Your poor dead husband and son. You haven't yet told Wilem the truth of that, have you?"

"I know your father helped kill them," Wilem said, but his eyes shifted between Meg and his mother with something less than certainty.

"How do you know?" Meg asked him. "Because she told you? She never told you about her secret mentor, did she? Why not ask her what else she might be holding back?"

"Be quiet!" Sen Eva screamed, raising her hands before her. Calen braced himself, hoping he could hold his shield against whatever she sent next. But before she could release her spell, Wilem put his hand on her arm, and all the strength and fury seemed to suddenly drain from her.

"Mother," he said softly, "is a" is there more you have not told me?"

An expression of such heartbreak pa.s.sed over Sen Eva's features then that for one moment Calen almost felt sorry for her. She turned and grasped Wilem's hands between her own. "You were too young to understand at first," she said earnestly. "That's the only reason I didn't tell you everything right away. But you're right, you're old enough now a" I can see that. When we're finished here, I will tell you the rest of it, every last thing a" I promise. . . ."

Wilem was shaking his head, slowly and with apparent regret. "Tell me now."

Sen Eva struggled with obvious effort to put some of her former authority back into her voice. "Don't be foolish, Wilem. We must deal with our enemies before anything else."

Wilem said nothing. He looked desperately unhappy as he stood there, watching his mother's face.

Finally, she dropped her eyes and whispered, "It wasn't my fault. I was still learning, you see. From the books. And I had been so careful. And Tymas knew, he knew he was not to disturb me while I was working. He ran in, burst through the door, and before I could even shout at him to stop, he had crossed the circle and a" and a"" She glanced up at Wilem's frozen features, then quickly away again. "I was learning to open portals. But the books were vague, you see. I had to discover much by trying things out. And this particular day, the portal had opened on someplace I hadn't seen before. When a" when Tymas crossed the circle, he broke the protective spell and there was something a" something alive. It took him. Before I could even scream, it grabbed him. Snapped a" snapped his neck. Right there, while I watched."

Wilem swallowed, then asked with difficulty, "And Father?"

"He came chasing after Tymas. When he entered the room and saw what was happening . . . he threw himself after Tymas, trying to save him. It was already too late, but he just . . ." She paused but did not risk looking up again. "The portal closed after he went through. I spent years trying to find him. I searched relentlessly, opening doorway after doorway, certain that if I could just find the right one, I could get your father back. But then I found a" someone else, instead. And he knew so much. So much more than even Devorlin had known. He was a true mage, not one of the spineless pack animals that call themselves mages today. They had exiled him, you see, because he refused to let them place limits on his power. And he promised to help me. He found your father; he showed me. He promised to return him to us."

And now she did look up, reaching out one hand toward Wilem's shocked and horrified face. "He told me that with magic, all things are possible. He said he could bring back your brother as well."

Wilem jerked away from his mother's touch as if burned. "My brother a" my brother is dead."

Sen Eva shook her head, so eager to convince him that she could not see his revulsion. "But don't you see? He doesn't have to be. We can have him back, Wilem. Your brother. And your father. We can be a family again. That's what all of this is for. A trade, of sorts. There were things my master needed me to do, and then, he promised a""

Wilem backed away, his eyes bright with pain. "You lied to me."

"Only because I didn't want you to share the burden of the truth, my love. And is a lie such a great crime compared to what we would have achieved?" Sen Eva's voice was growing hard again, her pain slowly thickening into anger. "What harm in a lie, if it could bring your brother back?"

"What harm?" Wilem whispered. "I was going to kill a"" He looked over at Maerlie, still unconscious alongside her sister and parents. He shook his head again, as if trying to clear it of this new information. "Everything I've ever believed has been a lie. You said we were carrying out Father's wishes. You said we were doing what he and the old king had wanted. Your secret magic, all the plans, you told me it was for the greater good. For Kragnir, and for Father's memory, and for revenge . . . but there is nothing to take revenge for, is there?"

He looked sick. "They didn't kill Tymas. You did. But you made me hate them. You made me a"" He shot an anguished look at Meg, then back at his mother. "You were going to make me a murderer. . . ."

"Yes!" Sen Eva screamed at him. "Yes! And why not? What life is worth more than that of your own father? Your own brother?"

Wilem seemed to have nothing left to say. He only stared at her, his grief and horror plain and undeniable. Sen Eva took one more faltering step toward her son. He recoiled with loathing, as if she were a poisonous snake about to strike.

The motion seemed to wrench something out of her. She threw back her head and screamed, a wordless outpouring of rage and pain and loss.

And from someplace far away a" but oh, not far enough a" something answered.

Calen shuddered. He knew that sound. It called again, and this time it was closer.

Sen Eva whirled, turning her back on her son and staring at Meg with eyes that seemed to glow with pure and powerful hatred. "You," she said, advancing slowly toward them. "You have taken my second son from me."

"Mother, no a"" Wilem began.

Without even a glance in his direction, she reached back one hand and sent a burst of deep blue light at him. Wilem fell bonelessly to the floor.

Calen watched, ready a" oh, G.o.ds, he prayed he was ready a" as the familiar red glow once more formed between Sen Eva's slowly moving hands. She sent forth the spell, and it shattered against the shield he still held up firmly before him. Then she sent another. And another. He didn't recognize most of them, and couldn't spare the attention required to try; every shred of his concentration was channeled into maintaining the shield. Dark, swirling missiles of color came quickly, one after another, and slowly, very slowly, Calen felt his strength beginning to wane. His stupid little voice didn't even try to convince him that he had the strength to outlast Sen Eva.

He felt Meg press against his back, as if to help support him. Sen Eva smirked contemptuously at this and increased her barrage, continuing to mutter incantations with barely a pause for breath. And then, against his ear, he heard the slightest whisper of Meg's voice. "Hold on," she said. "Jakl is coming."

Sudden hope flared within him, swiftly tempered by fear and doubt as another of those soul-wrenching screams pierced the air. Jakl wasn't the only one who was coming.

"Sen Eva," Meg called from behind him, her voice already stronger and deeper with the approach of her dragon. "Give over. What can you hope to accomplish? Even if you kill us all, no one will believe that Kragnir had anything to do with it. You will not get your war."

"Stupid child," Sen Eva spat, still casting. "There is more than one way to keep countries at war. There are a hundred ways. A thousand!"

"But will those other ways still please your master? Surely all this secret treachery was for a reason. Will open war through some other means still be enough to win you your rewards? You have enough blood on your hands. Let this go!"