Quick Ben's sister moaned, tried gathering her legs under her.
'Shit,' the wizard muttered. 'I'd better leave. Back to the others.
Before she comes round.'
Paran sighed and crossed his arms. 'Really, Quick-'
'You more than anybody should know about a sister's wrath!' the wizard snapped, stepping away. He glanced over at Brokeface, who stood, transfixed, staring up at Soliel. 'Go on,' he said. 'You were right.
Go to her.'
With a faint whimper, Brokeface stumbled forward.
Paran watched as Quick Ben opened a warren.
The wizard hesitated, looked over at the captain. 'Ganoes,' he said, ' tell me something.'
'What?'
'Tavore. Can we trust her?'
The question felt like a slap, stinging, sudden. He blinked, studied the man, then said, 'Tavore will do, wizard, what needs to be done.'
'To suit her or her soldiers?' Quick Ben demanded.
'For her, friend, there is no distinction.'
Their gazes locked for a moment longer, then the wizard sighed. 'I owe you a tankard of ale when it's all over.'
'I will hold you to it, Quick.'
The wizard flashed that memorable, infuriating grin, and vanished into the portal.
As it whispered shut behind him, the woman, his sister, lifted herself to her hands and knees. Her hair hung down, obscuring her face, but Paran could hear her clearly as she said, 'There was a wolf.'
He cocked his head. 'A Hound of Shadow.'
'A wolf,' she said again. 'The loveliest, sweetest wolf in the world…'
Quick Ben opened his eyes and looked around.
Bottle sat across from him, the only one present in the clearing. From somewhere nearby there was shouting, angry, sounds of rising violence.
'Nicely done,' Bottle said. 'Shadowthrone threw you right into their path, so much of you that, had the Hounds caught you, I'd now be burying this carcass of yours. You used his warren to get here. Very nice – a thread must've survived, wizard, one even Shadowthrone didn't see.'
'What's going on?'
The soldier shrugged. 'Old argument, I think. Kalam and Fiddler found Apsalar – with blood on her knives. They figure you're dead, you see, though why-'
Quick Ben was already on his feet. And running.
The scene he came upon moments later was poised on the very edge of disaster. Kalam was advancing on Apsalar, his long-knives out, the otataral blade in the lead position. Fiddler stood to one side, looking both angry and helpless.
And Apsalar. She simply faced the burly, menacing assassin. No knives in her hands and something like resignation in her expression.
'Kalam!'
The man whirled, as did Fiddler.
'Quick!' the sapper shouted. 'We found her! Blood on the blades – and you-'
'Enough of all that,' the wizard said. 'Back away from her, Kalam.'
The assassin shrugged, then scabbarded his weapons. 'She wasn't big on explanations,' he said in a frustrated growl. 'As usual. And I would swear, Quick, she was wanting this-'
'Wanting what?' he demanded. 'Did she have her knives out? Is she in a fighting stance, Kalam? Is she not a Shadow Dancer? You damned idiot!'
He glared at Apsalar, and in a lower voice, added, 'What she wants… ain't for us to give…'
Boots on stones sounded behind him, and Quick Ben swung round to see Bottle, at his side Captain Faradan Sort.
'There you all are,' the captain said, clearly struggling to keep her curiosity in check. 'We're about to march. With luck, we'll reach the Fourteenth this night. Sinn seems to think so, anyway.'
'That's good news,' Quick Ben said. 'Lead on, Captain, we're right with you.'
Yet he held back, until Apsalar walked past him, then he reached out and brushed her sleeved arm.
She looked over.
Quick Ben hesitated, then nodded and said, 'I know it was you, Apsalar. Thank you.'
'Wizard,' she said, 'I have no idea what you are talking about.'
He let her go. No, what she wants ain't for us to give. She wants to die.
Layered in dust, wan with exhaustion, Cotillion strode into the throne room, then paused.
The Hounds were gathered before the Shadow Throne, two lying down, panting hard, tongues lolling. Shan paced in a circle, the black beast twitching, its flanks slashed and dripping blood. And, Cotillion realized, there were wounds on the others as well.
On the throne sat Shadowthrone, his form blurred as if within a roiling storm-cloud. 'Look at them,' he said in a low, menacing voice.