That was definitely good.

I put it back on with the intention of keeping it there.

Kesyn stared intently at me for a few moments. "Feeling evil?"

"No." I would have added "of course not," but I was rather surprised-and relieved-myself.

"Well, if you start feeling evil and find you can't remove it..." Kesyn grinned and pulled a small knife out of his robes. "I'll just cut your finger off."

I looked at him.

"What? Which would you rather lose, boy? Your mind or a finger?"

"Neither, if I can help it."

"You're going to start wearing it?" Kesyn asked.

"Let's just say I don't want it going anywhere without me."

After replacing the shattered lightglobes and helping Barrett clean up the mess we'd made, we put everything back in the chests and secured them in the armory vault in my bedroom. Seeing my armor and weapons reminded me of a few more things I needed to pack.

It also made me very much aware that with her house burned to the ground, Agata Azul had nothing to pack-as in nothing to wear.

"This isn't a proper thing for a man to ask a woman-especially when they've just met-but necessity is more important than propriety right now."

"The only clothes I have are the clothes on my back." She paused. "That's what you were getting at, wasn't it?"

"Um, yes, it was. I don't know whether the assassins at your home were after you or me-or after you because of me; that is, me asking you to go to Aquas to find the Heart of Nidaar. Regardless, I feel I am indirectly to blame for your loss, and wish to remedy the situation. When we return, I want to have your house rebuilt and refurnished. At the moment, we have the rather pressing need to get you some clothes."

"We leave the day after tomorrow. Even the best palace clothiers can't work that kind of miracle."

"They can't, but if you will make a list, and make it complete, Barrett will take care of everything in our absence and have your wardrobe replaced by the time we return."

Agata smiled, enjoying my discomfort. "And in the meantime...?"

"All of us will be traveling light-"

The smile didn't fade. If anything, it broadened. "Naked is a bit too light in my opinion."

"What I'm getting to is that you and my mother appear to be the same size. I know she wouldn't mind if you took enough from her wardrobe to see you through the expedition. And being a mortekal, she has ample clothing suitable for where we are going and what we'll be doing once we get there." I started down the hall. "I'll show you to her room and then to your guest room for the night."

Talon arrived an hour later via mirror from my parents' estate. We'd both had a long day. I told him he needed to do two things now: a bath and then to bed. The only bath he would get between here and Aquas would be if it rained on him, and on board the Wraith, his bed would be a hammock.

I fully intended to go straight to sleep myself, but stayed up longer than I should have. When I finally made my way to my bed, I overheard voices from Talon's room.

"It's my last night in Regor. I should be out with my friends. Instead I'm-"

"In the finest mansion in the city," Barrett said, "bathing in a tub that once graced the imperial baths of Kaleh, sipping hundred-year-old brandy from two-hundred-year-old crystal, and eating what took hours to prepare all because your father said you might enjoy it before being subjected to ship's fare. But why would you want this when you could be surrounded by young men and women who are not your friends vomiting ale into a disease-infested gutter?"

Silence.

I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

"I'm an ungrateful brat from the Lower Hells, aren't I?" Talon said.

"Yes, young sir, you are. But we have hopes for you. Will you be needing anything else, sir?"

"Aside from good manners, I'd like a few more of those cherry tarts. They're very good. In fact, I've never tasted better."

"Yes, sir. I'll relay your compliments to the cook."

I continued to my own room, grinning broadly. I was really going to miss Barrett.

Chapter 17.

"Good morning, Your Grace."

Barrett's voice filtered down to me through the remains of a nightmare that included the mage who had attacked us last night, but instead of a demonic zombie horde were multiple copies of Sarad Nukpana and Rudra Muralin. Agata wasn't the only one trapped with me. Talon was there as well.

Needless to say, I was relieved to wake up.

Waking up to what I knew was a bright, sunny morning provided neither relief nor comfort.

Nocturnal instincts died hard.

"There is something good about it?" I muttered.

"I was being optimistic, sir," Barrett said. "The morning sky is unreasonably bright."

"You didn't open the curtains."

"No, sir. That would have been cruel to both of us."

I sat up and pushed my hair out of my face. "When I leave, the house can get back to normal."

"While we look forward to once more sleeping during the day, I speak for the entire household staff in saying that we would rather you didn't have to go."

"That makes all of us, Barrett." I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, Barrett holding my robe open for me. "Someone has to do the dirty work."

"For which you are eminently qualified, sir," he said with a straight face.

I gave him a quick grin.

"It was the highest of compliments, Your Grace."

"I'm sure it was. Is Talon awake?"

Barrett gave me a look. "Is that a question you truly need to ask?"

I chuckled. "Of course not. What time did he get to sleep?"

"When the cook arrived two hours ago, she found him foraging for a snack. Lord Talon has adapted very well to nocturnal life."

I scowled. "He's about to get a rude awakening. Literally. I told him he needed to be up this morning."

"Director Kalis and Magus Azul are downstairs to accompany you to investigate the remains of her home. After that, Captain Phaelan Benares arrives from the Isle of Mid." Barrett gave me a meaningful look. "You will be gone. We will be here. For the sake and sanity of the staff, Your Grace, let Lord Talon sleep."

Agata Azul's house had been completely consumed, reduced to ash, even the stone foundation.

Whoever had fired the canisters didn't need to be a firemage; the canisters' contents had been crafted by one-a master of his or her art.

Or a master of demons.

The stench of freshly harvested brimstone was strong in the air. There were two types of fresh brimstone: molten and quick-dried into powder. The canisters would have been packed with the latter.

Fresh meant the firemage had recently made a trip to the Lower Hells. Very recently.

I gazed around at the destruction. This had been meticulously planned, which lessened my guilt somewhat about being the cause, but did nothing to affect how I planned to deal with it.

Find the perpetrator and take it out of his-or her-hide.

I wasn't eager to go up against the dark mage again, but since she hadn't gotten what she wanted last night, I was certain that we would be encountering her again.

Encountering her again made me think of another who might be crossing my path again soon.

Sarad Nukpana.

Fresh brimstone of this type came from the Lower Hells, which was where Sarad Nukpana was now-or at least where he was supposed to be. Before the destruction of the Saghred, Sarad had been after Agata Azul. He had needed her then just as much as I did now and for the same reason. The dark mage had said that Sarad had warned her about my strength. Did this mean that she was working for Sarad? Was she his representative on this plane since he was presently unable to leave Hell? Or was he already here and had more important things to do-for now?

Agata had walked over to where a burnt limb from a nearby tree had fallen onto her small "lawn" of crystals, now blackened. The crystals had disintegrated into a cloud of ash. Agata bent and touched one of the larger crystals surrounding her property. It collapsed, the flakes carried away on the breeze.

The heat produced by those incendiary grenades had burned so hot that indestructible sentry crystals had been reduced to ash.

"This was no firemage work," Imala said. "A pyromancer did this. I know Tam has some high-powered enemies, but do you?" she asked Agata.

"A Khrynsani agent has been insisting on a meeting," Agata said. "I refused him. I believe this is the result."

"This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment attack," Imala said. "This was planned."

"She's right," I said. "When did the Khrynsani agent first contact you?"

"Last week."

"Those canisters would have taken longer than that to make. A pyromancer can't just throw some ingredients together and stockpile them. They also had to have been highly customized to destroy your sentry crystals. If this was Khrynsani work, it was planned before they contacted you."

"They knew you'd refuse," Imala said. "This was their backup plan. When Tam showed up on your doorstep, they knew he needed you for the same purpose and they couldn't wait any longer." She paused. "You know as well as I do how the Khrynsani react to refusal."

Agata nodded. "Retaliation and revenge."

"And they don't stop until they get it. They're known for making an example of those who defy them."

"I know. They do not tolerate refusal." Agata's dark eyes narrowed dangerously. "I have news for them, I do not tolerate being threatened."

Chapter 18.

Phaelan Benares arrived around noon.

Most of the mirrors capable of trans-kingdom travel were located in the palace. Most, but not all. I knew the absolute last place Phaelan would want to step out of a mirror into was the Mal'Salin palace. To tell you the truth, it wouldn't have been my favorite destination, either. You couldn't listen at a mirror as you would a door before stepping through. You had no way to know what was waiting on the other side. I'd never found that to be a particularly comfortable sensation.

Within two days of returning to Regor, I'd had a mirror installed in my study that could easily handle trans-kingdom travel, and had a talented-and trustworthy-mirror mage on retainer.

When Phaelan stepped through my mirror, it appeared to be under his own power, without Raine's boot applied to his backside. His weapons weren't drawn, but he had hands on the grips of two swords.

The elf pirate instantly went into a fighting stance.

"Welcome, Phaelan." I raised my hands, having already stationed myself out of blade reach. I'd also made sure that other than my mirror mage, we were alone.

I'd had the lights turned up. When a highly nervous, mirror-hating, heavily armed elf came for a visit, you wanted him to know there was no danger lurking in the shadows. It was a little bright for my or any other goblin's comfort, but assuring Raine's cousin that he hadn't walked into a nest of goblin assassins was more important.

"Your house?" Phaelan glanced around, his shoulders relaxing.

"My home. Be welcome and at ease. You are safe here. You have my word."

The elf lowered his hands from his weapons. Reluctantly, but he did it. I'd already alerted the staff against making any sudden movements, and to announce their presence when entering a room. Goblins made no sound when they walked, especially indoors. I didn't want any accidents.

I stepped forward to shake his hand.