My smile was almost demure. “You know I never claimed to be a good influence.”

Tam winced as he gingerly settled himself on the pillows. “Has Carnades gathered his lynch mob yet?” he asked Mychael.

I froze. “Lynch mob?”

Tam started to explain and Mychael held up his hand. “Save your strength. Carnades is claiming that Tam invited Sarad Nukpana’s soul in.”

Some things were just too freaking unbelievable for words, but I managed. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“The middle of the street at high noon isn’t exactly circumspect,” Tam said. “There were a lot of people watching and I did put on quite the evil show.”

“But you were possessed!”

“Carnades has always believed me to be as bad as Sarad Nukpana, if not worse. My actions in that street just confirmed what he’s been trying to prove to everyone since I got here.”

I turned to Mychael. “And let me guess, Carnades is claiming that you and Vidor Kalta are Tam’s evil minions because you saved his life.”

“Essentially.”

“So how did he manage to twist the fact that I killed Tam?”

“You took the law into your own hands and deprived the Seat of Twelve their due process.”

“Let me get this straight: he’s pissed at me because he didn’t get to kill Tam.”

“Exactly.”

“Mychael, tell me those guards outside are to protect Tam, and not because he’s been arrested again.”

“He hasn’t been arrested,” Mychael assured me. “Nor will he be.”

“And just who is going to pull off that feat?”

“I am,” Tam said. “By pulling the legal rug right out from underneath Carnades or anyone else who cares to challenge me.” He paused uncomfortably. “Sarad Nukpana possessed my body for nearly three hours. That included every soul Sarad absorbed trying to regenerate himself.”

“General Daman Aratus, two ancient goblin black mages, and Rudra Muralin.”

Tam nodded. “There were others as well, poor bastards who Sarad managed to snatch off the streets to sustain himself until he was strong enough to go after bigger game. He absorbed all of their memories, knowledge, and skills. Sarad used my mind to function, my body to act.”

I didn’t need a reminder. I also didn’t need to think about how close he came to getting away with everything, most of all what he’d done to Tam.

“He was in my mind—and I was in his,” Tam said quietly. “Raine, I know Sarad Nukpana’s plans and precisely how he intends to carry them out. Every step of the way.”

“And now he’s running home to share his plans and all of his newfound knowledge and power with his evil cohort, Sathrik Mal’Salin.”

“Sarad will use the king only as long as it is convenient. Sathrik’s crown and throne will be irrelevant once Nukpana puts his plans in motion. Sathrik will be a figurehead king, or he’ll be dead. Once he realizes that his former partner in crime has turned against him, Sathrik will go along, waiting for an opportunity to have Nukpana killed.”

I snorted. “Like that’s going to happen.”

“You’re right. It won’t. Sathrik will be a puppet or he’ll be dead, and the choice won’t be his to make. When Sarad no longer needs him, he’ll kill him. He can’t afford to let him live.”

“King Sarad Nukpana does have a certain ring to it,” I said, “and not a good one. But he doesn’t have the Saghred. And he sure as hell isn’t getting his hands on me. I’m not going anywhere near Rheskilia.”

“You won’t need to,” Mychael said quietly.

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“You shouldn’t. Nukpana was only in direct contact with the Saghred through Tam and your umi’atsu bond for a short period of time.”

“An hour, maybe a little more,” Tam said. “But it was enough.”

I knew I didn’t want to hear this. “Enough for what?”

“You have only had direct contact with the Saghred on a few occasions,” Mychael said, “and only for a few seconds each time. And each one of those times you fought that contact.”

“Sarad didn’t fight,” Tam said. “He was absorbing power like a sponge. And with Rudra’s knowledge, and the power of those two ancient mages, you can bet Sarad is going to make the most of everything he got.”

“You retained the power that the Saghred gave you,” Mychael said. “So will Sarad Nukpana.”

The implication of what Nukpana was now capable of was staggering. “Even though he doesn’t have the rock itself, he picked up plenty of new evil tricks, tricks he can’t wait to take home and use.”

Mychael nodded. “So destroying the Saghred has never been more important. If Nukpana wants to increase his power—and he will—he needs the Saghred itself. He’s not on the island any longer to do it himself, but Tam tells me that there are some individuals in the goblin secret service who are more than up to the task.”

I looked at him sharply. “Imala?”

“Imala is on our side,” Tam assured me. “She’s been here and we’ve talked.” His lips became a thin line and his brow furrowed. I knew that expression only too well. It was the one that said he’d been wrong and he didn’t want to admit it. “I don’t approve of some of the choices Imala has made. Being stuck here in bed gave me a lot of time to think, and I’ve realized that I’m the last person who can stand in judgment of her.”

“That still doesn’t explain how you plan to pull the legal rug out from underneath Carnades.”

Tam frowned. “It explains it all. What Imala said is true; I resigned my position at court, but Queen Glicara didn’t accept my resignation. She was murdered before she could do so. Imala knew who was responsible and why, so she immediately went through Glicara’s royal papers and took anything that she felt might be advantageous to have in the future.”

“Your resignation was one of them.”

“Correct. With the document in her possession, it is as if it were never written.”

“And you never resigned.”

Tam nodded. “It’s not unusual for a goblin noble to leave court for a time to avoid having a dagger planted between his or her shoulder blades.”

“And Sathrik never officially stripped Tam of his rank and position,” Mychael said. “Since Tam left the court voluntarily, he didn’t deem it necessary.”

“Too busy plotting evil.” I looked at Tam for a long moment. “So you are still a duke and the chief mage for the House of Mal’Salin.”

Tam inclined his head. It was the same way he’d always done it, but I noticed for the first time how regal it was.

“Diplomatic immunity,” I said. “Carnades really can’t touch you.”

“No, he can’t.”

“Not unless he and Balmorlan want to start that war of theirs now,” Mychael said. “And they’re not ready. Neither are their allies. Unfortunately, neither is our queen or army.”

I froze in place. “What do you mean ‘unfortunately’? We don’t want a war.”

“No, we don’t. However, Sarad Nukpana has the magical skill and force he needs now to start one. Plus he has all of the memories and knowledge of General Aratus. The elven forces would be crippled before first blood was spilt.”

“And Sathrik doesn’t give a damn about what our people want,” Tam said. “He’ll want to strike before the elves are ready. So we have to stop him before it goes any further.”

“Stop him?” I asked quietly.

“Preemptive strike. The most successful battles are fought from the inside.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “You’re going back.”

“Returning to Regor now would be suicide.” Tam flashed a grin. “I’ve been dead once; it’s not an experience I plan to repeat anytime soon.”

“But you just said ‘from the inside.’ ”

“With like-minded goblins and allies here on Mid. The island’s neutrality makes it perfect for clandestine meetings.”

I glanced at Mychael.

“Sathrik has openly threatened the Isle of Mid and our people unless we return Sarad Nukpana’s body.”

I had an unwanted flashback to Janos Ghalfari’s reanimated corpse grinning at me. “We definitely don’t want to gift wrap that thing and send it to Sathrik.”