Even so, he thought momentarily about seeing her. He could do so and be back in plenty of time to continue his journey. Just go to her house and wake her. Just tell her he still loved her and was sorry for not coming sooner. Just admit he had made a mistake.

But had he? He wasn’t sure that starting up with her again was what he wanted. He couldn’t quite make himself believe that it was the right thing to do. If he came back into her life, it would create expectations for both of them that had to be acted on. After so much time had passed, how would that feel?

Avelene looked away. “Just someone you used to know, huh?” she repeated.

He slouched down in his seat, stretching his legs. “You told me back in Arishaig that you sensed the Prime Minister was afraid of something. You never said what.”

She sighed and looked around the cramped room as if searching for the answer. “Didn’t you see it in him, too?”

“Not as clearly as you did, I guess.”

She smirked. “I don’t think you see much of anything as clearly as I do, Paxon.” She left this enigmatic observation hanging. “I’m guessing now, but I would say from what I know about his history as Prime Minister that he’s caught between a rock and a hard place. Remember how he was thinking of stepping down at one point? The rumor was he’d had enough. Ex-military and weapons-centric men and women had come to dominate the Coalition Council, and he was no friend to any of them. So he wanted out; he wanted to quit. But then he decided not to. Maybe because he couldn’t stomach what that might mean for the Federation. Aphenglow always said he was a good man.”

“So now he is afraid he might be at risk because of staying on as Prime Minister?” Paxon sighed. “It’s true that there is a history of termination with prejudice in that office. Maybe he feels threatened by this Usurient fellow and he brought us in to perhaps help him eliminate that threat.”

“That would be my guess.” She shook her head. “Politics makes my head hurt. Too many mind games and too much deception and trickery.”

“At least we don’t have that problem at Paranor,” Paxon said.

She looked at him. “Is that what you think?”

After that, they were silent for a long time.

Usurient made his way over the jagged terrain of the coastal cliffs, following a narrow pathway that cut through the rocks like a snake, tracking the dark shape of Mallich, who was just ahead, and the oketar, who were no longer even visible. Rain sheeted down, the storm continuing unabated. The wind was much stronger out here on the cliffs, exposed as they were to the open seas, and therefore much more dangerous. He had to keep pressing back against the cliff face or, when on higher stretches where there was no protection at all, bend low to the ground to avoid being swept off his feet. He had been relatively dry when they had set out, but by now he was soaked through.

Usurient was thinking hard about what might happen once this matter came to a head. If they found the ruins of Arbrox inhabited tonight, he was certain Mallich would want them to go in tomorrow when the weather cleared. They would take Bael Etris and The Hammer with them, and they would attack and keep attacking until Arcannen was dead. How this might happen—and who might survive it—was open to debate. But he had already determined that his own involvement would be minimal. In spite of what he had told Mallich, he had not decided to come on this expedition so that he could make certain everything went as it should or even to have the pleasure of watching Arcannen take his last breath.

He was there because, when it was all over and done with, he intended to kill everyone left alive.

There could be no witnesses to any of this, after all. This operation was outside the purview of his authority and would certainly not be sanctioned by the High Command, let alone the Prime Minister. No evidence of it could ever be allowed to surface. Once Arcannen was dead, he would eliminate the men with him, as well.

What he wished at the moment, however, was that he had not been so hasty about coming out with Mallich. Staying aboard the airship, he might have remained somewhat dry and warm. Out here, he was merely miserable and irritated by the slowness of their progress. How long had they been walking, anyway?

Ahead, Mallich slowed and looked back at him, motioning him forward and leaning close, his voice a whisper. “What remains of Arbrox is just around that cliff face. When we get there, I will send the oketar ahead to sniff around. They will keep to the ruins, so they shouldn’t trip the wards. Those will have been laid farther out along the inland perimeter. When they’ve found what we’re looking for, they will come back to me.”

He started to turn away, but Usurient grabbed his arm. “Wait. How will we know what they have or haven’t found? They can’t talk, can they?”

Mallich gave him a look. “They can to me. Have some faith, Dallen.”

A few dozen yards farther on, they reached the bend in the cliff face and came to a second stop. Peering into the gloom ahead, Usurient could just make out what remained of the walls and roofs of Arbrox.

Moments after that, Mallich dispatched the oketar and they disappeared into the ruins.

Arcannen was sitting at the little kitchen table reading from ancient books he had brought down from a set of shelves nearby, paying no attention to Reyn and Lariana as they sat next to each other in the adjoining room, heads together, whispering.

“Your risked too much out there!” the girl hissed at him, her face dark with anger and misgiving.

“I risked what I had to,” he answered.

“What if you had gone catatonic?”

“But I didn’t! My control is getting better.”

She shook her head. “One time. That’s all it was. You can’t be sure.”

“You have to start somewhere. Besides, what other choice did I have?”

Arcannen looked over suddenly. “Can you please take your conversation into the bedroom?” he asked irritably. “You are disrupting my concentration.”

Lariana stood up abruptly and pulled Reyn up with her. “Fine. We’ll leave you to it.”

The sorcerer went back to his reading. Lariana led Reyn into the bedroom and closed the door before turning to him again. “I don’t like how this is going,” she said so softly he almost couldn’t hear. “Why is he making you do this … this creating of people out of images? No, don’t say it’s to help you learn to control your magic. This can’t be the best way for you to learn to do that. By having you bring imaginary people to life?”

They both paused, casting quick glances at the door. “I don’t know,” Reyn said finally. “How can anyone know what’s best?”

“I know this much,” she answered. “It’s causing you considerable stress because it requires too much of you. Your problem, Reyn, has to do with reacting to threats, to dangerous situations. It has to do with fear that you can’t protect yourself. To stop that, you need to learn how to stay calm. How is any of what you are trying supposed to help?”

He stared at her. “What are you saying? That I should stop doing what he’s asking of me?”

“No, no, I’m not saying that.” She paused, brushing back loose strands of her gold-streaked hair. She glanced away, and her eyes had a distant, lost look to them. “You have to do what he tells you,” she said finally. Then her eyes shifted back to find his. “Because if you don’t, I’m not sure what will happen.”

There was a long silence as he let that sink in. “You think I’m in danger, don’t you?”

She nodded. “Maybe. Mostly because everyone who gets close to him is in danger. Even me.”

“But he’s your mentor. He won’t hurt you.”

She exhaled sharply. “I thought that was true once. I’m not so sure anymore.” She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “What I am sure of is that I will do anything I can to help you. But you have to be careful. You have to listen to me.”