The halls and courtyards of Tzaryan Keep seemed even more discomforting and quiet than they had before. Singe led them from one passage to another, looking for Tzaryan. The best he managed was to get them back to the top of the broad stairs down to the keep’s gates. As the wizard glared at the stairs and cursed-the color in his cheeks rising even higher-Dandra clenched her teeth and stepped up to him.
“Singe,” she said, “maybe you need to-”
“Maybe I need to what?” He whirled on her. “Give him another chance? Forgive him?”
Dandra stared at him, shocked by the sudden outburst. She took a step back. A cold anger ran along her back. “Maybe you need,” she said, “to ask for directions.”
The others stared at them both. Singe stiffened. Dandra thought she saw a flicker of shame in his eyes, but he didn’t back down. “Ask who?” he demanded. He turned away to look around with angry eyes. “Twelve moons, this place is a tomb.”
Natrac was looking around as well. “You’re right,” he said. “Where is everyone?”
“Twilight,” said a deep voice from above them, “is a shift change here at Tzaryan Keep. Those who walked the day take their beds; those who will patrol the night are rising.”
Dandra twisted around and looked up to see Tzaryan Rrac drifting down from an upper window as easily as a human might walk down a flight of stairs. The ogre mage’s expression was calm, but curious. “You’re still armed, Master Timin,” he said as his boots touched the stones of the floor. “You haven’t forgotten our agreement? You’re to join me for dinner. I was just looking for you.”
Singe wallowed his anger with a visible effort and bowed low. “Our apologies, Lord Tzaryan. We were looking for you as well when we lost our way.”
“Then this is a fortunate meeting. Allow me to be your guide to the dining hall. Our meal will be ready very soon.” Tzaryan bent his head and offered Dandra his hand. “Kirvakri?”
Dinner was perhaps the farthest thing from Dandra’s mind, but it didn’t seem that they had any choice but to accept Tzaryan’s invitation. She shot a glance at Singe. He gave her a quick nod. She reached up and placed her hand in Tzaryan’s.
The ogre mage’s grip was surprisingly gentle, as though he was used to handling delicate things, but her fingers still disappeared between his. He turned, guiding them back the way they had come with Dandra on his right and Singe on his left. Ashi, Orshok, and Natrac fell in behind. “You’re tense, lovely kalashtar,” he said.
“We’ve had an … eventful day,” Dandra answered.
Tzaryan nodded. “I apologize for the trespasser that troubled you in the ruins. Do you know him?”
She wondered briefly what report Robrand had given Tzaryan. She tried to exchange another glance with Singe, but with Tzaryan between them it was impossible. “One of our guards had things in his past we didn’t know about,” she said-then winced at the truth behind her own lie.
“I was in my observatory and saw what happened,” he said. “Such things usually don’t happen in my domain. I’m pleased the General was in a position to help you.” He glanced over his shoulder and his black eyes narrowed. “The shifter isn’t with you.”
“No, my lord,” said Singe. “We left him in your dungeon.”
A gash of a smile opened on Tzaryan’s face. “Were the things in his past that bad?”
Singe was silent. Dandra found she couldn’t even manage a false smile. Tzaryan looked back and forth between them. “A joke,” he said.
“I’m re-evaluating his service to me,” Singe replied. “For now, he’s standing guard over Ekhaas.”
They stepped into a long room lined with tall wooden columns painted the same green as the tiles of the keep’s roofs. Between some of the columns, corridors opened, leading deeper into the keep. Between others were mounted the trophies of a warlord: battered swords and shields, a suit of armor with a crest Dandra didn’t recognize, another with a crest that she did-the emblem of the Church of the Silver Flame. She tried to ignore them, to pay attention to their ogre mage host. Tzaryan looked down at Singe as they walked. “That’s unnecessary. If you were in my dungeon, you’ve seen that the cells are quite secure. I’ll send one of my servants to fetch him for dinner.”
Singe hesitated. When he spoke again, his voice was cautious. “He’s not trying to prevent her escape, Lord Tzaryan. He’s watching over her. The General dismissed Lor, but we were concerned he might come back-”
Tzaryan’s eyes narrowed and his grip on Dandra’s hand tightened slightly. He cut Singe off. “Lor? What was Lor doing there?”
Dandra heard the wizard hesitate again and wished that she could escape Tzaryan’s grasp.
Singe recovered himself quickly. “When the General took our attacker to the dungeons, we went along with the intent of speaking to Ekhaas as you and I had agreed, my lord. We found Lor getting ready to … ah …” He swallowed as pretty words failed him. “Torture her.”
“Lor started without my permission?” The ogre mage’s voice was like distant thunder. “I’ll whip him for this!”
In Dandra’s head, Tetkashtai stirred uneasily. Something’s wrong, she said. Her yellow-green glow arced and snapped like captured lightning. Dandra, something’s wrong!
Suspicion sank into Dandra as well. I think you’re right, she told Tetkashtai. Robrand had said that Tzaryan had ordered Lor to begin torturing Ekhaas. But if Tzaryan hadn’t known that Lor was in the dungeon …
“Perhaps I misunderstood what he was doing, my lord,” said Singe. “I’m sure the General had a better explanation for what we saw when we-”
“I’ll be certain to ask him,” Tzaryan said. He quickened his pace, releasing Dandra’s hand. She snatched it away as the implications of the ogre mage’s words settled into her. Robrand had left them in the dungeon with Ekhaas to go and report to Tzaryan-but it almost sounded as if Tzaryan hadn’t seen him.
Robrand had lied to them. Twice. Why?
Dandra, Tetkashtai said urgently, listen to me! Do you feel-
Not now, Tetkashtai! Dandra took a step back, moving a little closer to Ashi and Orshok as Singe hurried to keep pace with Tzaryan.
“My lord,” the wizard said, “the point is that we spoke with Ekhaas and she co-operated with us. She told us what we wanted to know about the ruins. We agreed that if she spoke, you wouldn’t have her tortured.”
“I recall our agreement.” Tzaryan nodded. “Very well. She won’t be tortured. You have my word.”
Singe relaxed, but only slightly. “My lord, what she had to say was extremely helpful to us. Her attempt to follow us from Vralkek was nothing by comparison-it’s forgiven. Would you consider letting her go free?”
Tzaryan stopped and turned to look down at Singe. His lips drew back from his square black teeth. Dandra caught her breath. Holding back Tetkashtai’s frightened ravings, she reached out to brush her mind against Ashi’s and Orshok’s. Stay alert! she warned them. Something is going on here!
Tetkashtai lunged for the mental opening of the kesh. It’s not Tzaryan! she shrieked. Listen to me-
Ashi flinched at the presence’s sudden outburst. Orshok’s hand tightened around his hunda stick. Dandra cursed and hauled back on Tetkashtai, reining her in like a runaway horse. Tetkashtai, be quiet!
The warning and Tetkashtai’s outburst had taken scant heartbeats. Tzaryan still stared down at Singe while the wizard did his best to look strong yet optimistic. Tzaryan’s eyes flickered. “After dinner,” he said finally. “Let us discuss the matter after dinner like civilized folk.” He stood straight.
Singe took a long breath and stood straight as well. He nodded slowly. “Certainly, my lord.” Tzaryan held out his hand, gesturing for Singe to continue along the hall. The wizard bent his head and the pair resumed their progress. The need to reach out to Singe with the kesh and offer him her warning as well burned in Dandra, but she didn’t dare. Tetkashtai’s ravings had become a desperate, mad struggle that took all of her concentration to maintain. She shouted at the presence, but Tetkashtai seemed beyond hearing.