But more importantly, among the memories of those quiet ales shared in the small hours of the night were the stories the two men swapped, mostly about their younger days, when neither of them imagined they would one day find themselves living under the roof of the High Prince's sister, either as her husband or her slave. The memories in themselves were insignificant-just the idle ramblings of a couple of drunken fools-but they recalled intimate, tiny details of both men's lives that Alija would never have been able to discover on her own, even if she'd had an army of investigators searching for clues.

It had been a simple matter, really, to join her mind to the old slave's and fill it with those stolen memories. It was a risk, of course, but the chances were good Elezaar would require proof this slave was his brother. In his place, Alija would have demanded an answer to a question only the two of them might know. Perhaps, she reasoned, lost somewhere in those quiet, late-night conversations with Ruxton Tirstone, was the answer to whatever question the dwarf decided to pose.

It cost a great deal to purchase Venira's assistance-the Fool would never deal with Tarkyn directly, Alija knew. Elezaar had to be convinced this offer came from someone unconnected with the High Arrion, in the beginning at least.

Alija's gamble had paid off. Crysander had answered the vital question correctly. Elezaar had seen the scar-which also meant he must have witnessed his brother dying, which was another problem to be dealt with later-and to save his long-lost brother from unspeakable torture, the Fool had told Tarkyn everything he wanted to know.

Although she didn't doubt Tarkyn's ability to intimidate the dwarf, she was astonished at how easily he had capitulated. Once he began, it was as if a dam had burst inside him and the information couldn't spill out fast enough.

All the vague plans and plots Alija had only glimpsed during her contact with Ruxton suddenly snapped into sharp focus. Wrayan Lightfinger was alive and well and running the Thieves' Guild in Krakandar, Elezaar confirmed. The magical shields he had placed on the minds of Marla and her family were the result of the teaching he received from the Harshini themselves, because, according to the Fool, that was where Wrayan had disappeared to after their battle in the temple. He had been rescued, so the Fool claimed, by none other than Brakandaran the Halfbreed, who had taken him back to Sanctuary to be healed. There he had learned how to wield his power with a finesse Alija would have given her soul to achieve.

Alija might have scoffed at the tale, except she'd met Brakandaran and felt his power. She didn't doubt for a moment that every word of it was true.

She learned that her coercion hadn't failed, either. Luciena really had tried to kill Damin Wolfblade when he was just a boy. The plot remained undiscovered until the attack. Marla had ordered Wrayan to remove all traces of Alija's interference, shielded the girl's mind, and then chosen to let the incident go unremarked rather than tip anyone off to the fact that Marla was wise to Alija's plan.

Even more disturbing was the news that Rorin Mariner was not just Luciena's Fardohnyan cousin, but, like Wrayan, a genuinely gifted sorcerer and a human descendant of the magical lost race of the Harshini. He'd been taught to use his power in a Harshini mind meld-the same way they taught their own children-so the dwarf informed them, which accounted for why Alija had never suspected his ability. His skill made Wrayan look clumsy, which terrified Alija, because for twenty years she'd never detected a single mind shield Wrayan had set, and if she couldn't detect his handiwork, how was she ever going to protect herself from him?

And then, just when she had thought she couldn't be surprised, the Fool had shocked them all by announcing that Marla had known Alija was having an affair with Nash Hawksword twenty years ago, and that she suspected the High Arrion of being involved in the first of many attempts on her son's life.

The list seemed endless. Every word of the dwarf's testimony drove home, with brutal force, how dangerous Marla Wolfblade really was.

Alija cursed her own arrogance for not having seen it sooner.

And she cursed Tarkyn Lye for being a sentimental fool.

After several hours of startling revelations, Elezaar had begged a moment alone with his brother. Tarkyn, thinking a chance for further bonding would simply reinforce the power they had over the dwarf, had ordered Bekan from the alcove and taken the opportunity to relieve himself while the brothers had a moment of privacy. He wasn't gone more than a few minutes, he promised Alija, but when he came back, the dwarf was gone and Crysander lay back against the cushions with his neck at a very strange angle.

They still hadn't found him a week later. He wasn't back at Marla's townhouse. He was nowhere to be found. And that was a problem, because she knew for certain, now, that Elezaar the Fool could implicate the House of Eaglespike in the murder of Ronan Dell. Even this long after the fact, that one incident alone was enough to bring the Eaglespikes down.

She had to find the dwarf and she had to kill him.

Galon stirred on the bed. Alija looked over at him and smiled. It shouldn't be too difficult, she thought, pushing off the balcony and heading back towards the bed, for a man of Galon's skill and connections to find one miserable dwarf and dispose of him for me.

After all, what was the point of having a tame assassin if you didn't let him off the leash every now and then?

Chapter 75.

Damin took the time to bathe and change before he entered the dining room to meet with the rest of the family, mostly because he didn't want to upset his aunt. He could imagine her reaction if she happened to bump into him walking the halls of Krakandar Palace still drenched in Leila's blood. It gave Wrayan time, too, to fetch Kalan and Rorin from the safe house where they were watching over Starros.

Damin wanted to address the whole family (with the obvious exceptions of Mahkas and Bylinda, who would undoubtedly consider his intentions treasonous), and he was in no mood to repeat himself.

They were having a late breakfast when Damin arrived. As soon as Luciena spied him, she ordered Aleesha to take the children downstairs to the day nursery. The slave gathered the children to her and hurried them from the dining room with a nervous curtsey as she passed Damin by the door.

He closed the door behind the departing children and then glanced around the room, fixing his gaze on the two slaves standing watch over the buffet.

"Out!" he ordered abruptly.

The slaves did as the prince commanded without question and left the hall through the slaveways entrance behind the screen at the back of the room.

"Good morning, Damin," Tejay said cautiously, apparently the only one present who wasn't afraid to address him directly.

"My lady."

Damin glanced around the dining room. Xanda and Luciena sat together at the far end of the long table. Next to Luciena were the three empty places just vacated by her children. Tejay's four boys were too young to join the adults at meals and were probably down in the day nursery having breakfast.

Next to the empty seats, Adham was sitting beside Tejay.

Kalan and Rorin were missing, but they should be here soon. He'd sent Wrayan to fetch them when they got back to the palace from the fens. That was just before Orleon had met him in the hall and handed Damin the letter he currently held in his right hand. It had arrived by speeded courier yesterday, but with the city sealed against travellers from the south, the guards on the gate had been reluctant to admit the courier. Finally, one of the officers on the gate had agreed to accept the letter, but he'd waited until he'd finished his watch before delivering the document to the palace.

"I have a letter from my mother," he announced, holding it up for them to see. "Ironic, don't you think, that she includes an apologetic note to Mahkas informing him she will not agree, under any circumstance, to a betrothal between Leila and me."

Nobody was sure what they were supposed to say to that.

Adham broke the uncomfortable silence. "Are you all right, Damin?"

"Is anybody here all right?" he snapped. Then he shrugged. "I'm sorry. I'm not angry with you.

I'm just a little annoyed at the notion that this whole damn mess might have been avoided if somebody had thought to deliver this letter yesterday."

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Tejay pointed out. "Mahkas found Starros and Leila together more than a week ago. The damage was done long before you or that letter got here."

The news didn't make Damin feel any better, but he forced himself not to dwell on it. There was too much to be done. "Orleon's currently arranging to have the ballroom cleared so Leila can be laid out before the funeral. How's Bylinda faring?"

"Your aunt is far stronger than anyone gives her credit for, Damin. She'll come through this in one piece," Tejay said.

"And Mahkas?"

There was a moment of awkward silence before anybody answered him. It was Xanda who finally found the courage to tell Damin what had happened after he left. "He lives, Damin. Rorin healed his wounds as best he could, but I gather there was some residual damage beyond even a sorcerer's skill to mend."

"That's good news. I really don't have time for him to die right now."

His comment had them all staring at him in concern. Before anyone could respond to it, however, the door opened behind him and he turned to find Kalan, Wrayan and Rorin filing into the dining room. Both Rorin and Kalan looked as if they'd been up all night and Kalan's eyes were red-rimmed and swollen. She ran to her brother when she spied him and threw her arms around him. Damin hugged her silently, understanding her pain. Leila was dead because she thought Starros would be waiting for her in the afterlife. It would be a long time, if ever, before Kalan could forgive herself for her part in that lie.

After a few moments, Kalan stepped back and studied him warily. "Are you all right, Damin?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Although I'm leaning towards ordering a lashing for the next person who asks me that."

Kalan seemed to think he was serious. She took a seat at the table beside Adham, folded her hands in her lap and said nothing more.

"Marla sends other news in her letter," Damin added grimly. "The worst of which, I'm sorry to tell you, Adham, is the news that Ruxton Tirstone was taken by the plague."

Every eye in the room fixed on the young trader, wondering how he might take the news of his father's death. Damin watched the colour drain from his face, but he remained in control of his emotions. Nobody else reacted to the news. Perhaps, with everything that had gone on this past day, they were all so emotionally wrung out there was nothing left in any of them to grieve for Ruxton Tirstone. It's a pity, really, Damin thought. Ruxton was a good man. He deserved more than this.

"I wish we had the time to do his memory justice," Damin told his stepbrother sympathetically.

"But there are other things that demand our attention and, in the end, we're probably better off doing what we can for the living rather than the dead."

Adham nodded silently in agreement. Kalan reached across and took his hand comfortingly, but said nothing.

"To that end," Damin said, turning his attention to the two sorcerers, "I need you two to do whatever you must to save Starros. Even if that means selling his soul to whatever god is willing to come to his aid."

Wrayan and Rorin exchanged a worried glance, but it was Kalan who answered him. "Damin, you can't make that sort of decision for Starros without-"

"I can and I have, Kalan," Damin announced. "I'll take responsibility for it."

Wrayan shook his head. "Damin, I think you should consider-"

He turned on the thief impatiently. "You told me your only choice was to sell his soul or let him die, Wrayan. If you're not willing to do the latter, then speak to the gods and get it over with. There's a war coming. I can't afford to have the only two real sorcerers in Hythria tied up tending the former assistant chief steward of Krakandar Palace, even if he is my best friend."

"What war?" Tejay asked suspiciously.

"We think Hablet is taking advantage of the borders being closed to gather his troops for an invasion," Adham informed the Warlord's wife, before Damin had a chance to explain. His voice was dull and emotionless, but it was clear he wasn't incapacitated by his grief.

"You didn't get that intelligence from Sunrise Province, did you?" she asked.

"Mostly it came from the Fardohnyans," Adham agreed, looking a little puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"Terin wouldn't know if his arse was on fire unless somebody was there to point it out to him,"

she remarked sourly, confirming Damin's suspicions that all was not well in the Lionsclaw household.

Tejay looked up at the young prince with a frown. "That's where you're going, isn't it? To Sunrise?"

Damin nodded. "With as many Krakandar troops as I can muster. I plan to swing past Byamor on the way and collect Narvell and all the Elasapine troops Charel Hawksword can spare us, too."

"Then I'm coming with you," Tejay announced.

"Is that really a good idea, Tejay?" Luciena asked with concern. "If we really are facing a war-"

"It's a war that, more than likely, will be fought in my province," Tejay pointed out. "There's no way I'm going to let Terin deal with this on his own. Assuming he's capable of dealing with it in the first place."

Damin studied her with concern. "We're going to have to have a little chat about your husband fairly soon, aren't we?"

She nodded, looking resigned. "Yes, Damin, I think we are."

"What about your children?" Luciena asked.

"They can stay here. Krakandar's by far the safest place in Hythria, at the moment. Bylinda may even welcome the distraction."

"Even if Aunt Bylinda's not up to it, you'll be here to keep an eye on them, Luciena," Damin told his adopted sister. "There's still too much plague about for you and Xanda to risk heading back to Greenharbour with your own children, and I want Xanda here to keep an eye on things while I'm gone."

His cousin looked at him doubtfully. "What exactly am I supposed to be keeping an eye on?"

"A month or so from now, Mahkas is probably going to get some news from the High Prince that will drastically affect the length of his tenure as regent here. I have a feeling he's not going to take it very well. I want someone in the palace I can trust-and someone who can take charge if need be-so that when we're through dealing with Hablet, I still have a province to come back to."

Xanda glanced at Luciena to see if she had any objections before he nodded his agreement.

"We've been away from Greenharbour for so long now, a bit longer isn't going to make that much difference. We'll stay."

"Thank you," Damin said, greatly relieved his cousin hadn't balked at the suggestion. He turned to Adham with a questioning look. "What about you?"

"Rodja will have everything under control in Greenharbour. I'll tag along with you, if you don't mind."

Damin spared him a thin smile. "Just the answer I expected from a man corrupted by Almodavar into following the God of War."

"What did you want me and Rorin to do?" Kalan asked.

"I'm sending Wrayan back to Greenharbour. I want you and Rorin to go with him. Mother will need your help, and if ever there was a need to have a couple of insiders in the Sorcerers' Collective, it's going to be in the next few months as we prepare for war."

"No," Kalan said flatly.

Damin stared at her in surprise. "What?"

"I'll go back to Greenharbour with Wrayan, but Rorin is going to Sunrise Province with you."

"Why?" Damin and Rorin both asked at the same time.

"Because you're Hythria's heir, Damin, and we can't afford to lose you in battle. Rorin is the only magical healer in the world that we know of. The most useful place for him in any battle you're involved in is at your side."

"She's actually got a very good point," Wrayan agreed.

Damin hadn't thought about the advantage of having a sorcerer at his side in battle. The idea had a lot to recommend it. He glanced at Rorin, who shrugged. "I'm fine with it if you are."

"Then I guess you're coming to Sunrise with us, Rorin," Damin said.

"When do we leave?" Adham asked.

"Tomorrow morning," he informed them. "At first light. As soon as we're finished here, I'm going down to the barracks to talk to Almodavar. I plan to leave for Elasapine with all the Krakandar troops we can spare now, which should be about twenty-six centuries, and have Raek Harlen follow with the rest of them in a couple of weeks."

"Aren't you going to wait for Leila's funeral?" Kalan asked.

Damin shook his head. "If I wait, Kalan, I may run into Mahkas."

"I think, given the circumstances, Damin," Xanda suggested carefully, "you may find him willing to forgive you."

"I'm not really interested in whether our uncle forgives me or not, Xanda," Damin replied coldly.

"My concern is one of timing."

"I don't understand," Kalan admitted with a frown.