Ruban’s bones jangled in his body, his skeleton ready to come undone and fall apart at the slightest provocation. His joints ached, head throbbing with each breath he drew in. Beside him, Vikram looked about ready to keel over.

They’d spent the last three days following the trail on which Kaheen had set them, through her last message (delivered to the flat inside a packet of Kanbarian takeout). They’d hopped a ride on one among a fleet of trucks that presumably carried smuggled cargo into the country from the Zainian border. It had dropped them a couple of miles from their destination, but the journey had not been a pleasant one.

Dark clouds had gathered over the surrounding hills, turning the air humid and impeding their progress through the rough terrain. Ruban hoped Kaheen would be here soon. Because if she wasn’t, it’d mean he’d walked straight into a trap, hours away from the nearest town and with no means of transport.

A silver speck appeared over one of the hills, and slowly, the outline of wings became clearer. Beside him, Vikram let out a sigh of relief, proving that he’d been thinking along the same lines as Ruban. A few seconds later, Kaheen flapped to a stop in front of them.

“You made it on time.” Her tone was neutral, feet hovering inches from the ground. “I’d nearly given up hope.”

Ruban spared a glance at the bare, rugged landscape that surrounded them. “Not exactly a top holiday destination, is it? Smuggling trucks are the only available transportation for miles around.” He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her ruffled wings and tense features. “What is this about? You said something’s come up, but I still don’t know what the hell you’re playing at. Where are Ashwin and Simani being held?”

“Well, I could hardly send you elaborate details in a note that could’ve been intercepted anywhere along the way. Janak is expecting…guests.” She lowered herself to the muddy ground, her wings fading into the ether. “An important client he’s been courting for months. The entourage will arrive by tomorrow afternoon. Janak’s planning a party in the evening.” Her lips twisted into a sneer. “To make his guests feel welcome. And show off the merchandise.”

Vikram frowned. “The merchandise?”

“Shwaan,” Kaheen said grimly. “He’ll be the main attraction at tomorrow’s party.” She turned and began walking towards the hill she’d just flown over to reach them. Exchanging a quick look with Vikram, Ruban trudged after her. “Janak likes showing him off to potential clients. He’s the prince of Vaan, after all. His feathers are worth a lot more than that of an ordinary Aeriel. And Janak likes flaunting his treasures.”

Vikram breathed hard, moving determinedly through the uneven, muddy terrain. “And will Simani be there with him?”

“No. She and Shwaan are being held separately. I found a way to get them in the same room the first night she was brought in, but–” Kaheen shrugged, picking her way through a series of jutting, weedy rocks. “Janak isn’t stupid. He knows they’re on the same side. He won’t let them near each other if he can help it. And perhaps that’s a good thing. Shwaan’s keeping Janak distracted for the moment, so he hasn’t had much time to think about Simani. Don’t know how long he’ll be able to keep it up, but so far, a sprained shoulder and a split lip have been the worst of her problems.”

Ruban focused on the slippery, moss-covered rocks under his feet. He preferred not to think about what, exactly, distracting Janak Nath might entail. “And where do we come in?”

“At the party, of course. It’s the best opportunity we’ll have. Most of the guards will be inside, protecting the guests in the main hall. And everyone else will be drinking. Won’t be that hard to ply the men guarding one of the tunnels with more alcohol than is strictly advisable. And lots of new people wandering around the castle means it’ll be easier to go unnoticed in the hallways and such.” She turned to Vikram. “Have you got your blueprint?”

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He nodded, breathing hard. Fine, dark hair stuck to his sweat-slick forehead in clumps. “I didn’t have enough time to find the latest version, so I don’t know how accurate–”

“It’ll do.” Kaheen held up a hand. “There hadn’t been any major renovations since my grandmother’s time, and that was three hundred years before the Rebellion. I’ll tell you which tunnels to use, and which route to take once you’re inside. But listen to me, you must be careful. I can’t put my finger on it, but Janak’s been acting oddly these last few days. He’s being more secretive than usual, and I don’t like going in blind. If it wasn’t for Shwaan and Simani, I’d have waited until I had more information.”

“Odd in what way?” Ruban cut in sharply. “What exactly has he done?”

“Nothing remarkable, in the grand scheme of things. It’s just…I’ve known him for over a year, and it’s not like him to act this way. He leaves the castle at odd hours with no more than a couple of escorts. He says it’s to meet potential clients, but I don’t buy it. Janak likes pomp and grandeur. He likes feeling important. I’ve never known him to meet a buyer without a retinue of guards and Aeriels. And if it was just me he wasn’t confiding in, that’d make some sense. He threatened me to win Shwaan’s compliance, so he has reason to be wary of me.

“But as far as I can tell, he isn’t talking to any of the others, either. Some of his most trusted lieutenants are as much in the dark as I am, and it’s causing ripples within the ranks of the Qawirsin. Everybody’s on edge, rumors are flying all over the place, and the new Aeriel is making everything that much more volatile. Among the Exiles, the vankrai were always the ones most loyal to Tauheen. Most of them still are. The last thing anyone expected was for one of them to join the feather mafia–”

“Wait. Hold up.” Ruban skipped over a small boulder to catch up with Kaheen. “What’s this about a vankrai joining the mafia? You’re telling me Janak Nath’s recruiting more Aeriels?”

She shook her head. “Just the one. And that’s the weird part. If he was actively recruiting, that’d make more sense. More Aeriels mean more Hunts, more money. But that isn’t what’s happening. The vankrai hasn’t been to a single Hunt yet. He just stays in the castle, usually locked in a room with Janak. Most of us don’t even know his name, that’s how little he interacts with the other members of the Qawirsin. Doesn’t make him very popular with the rabble, as you might imagine. And I still have no idea what Janak wants him for.”

“What do you think he’s for?” Vikram’s tone was cautious, if a little breathless.

“I don’t know. Some believe he’s a plant from another gang.” Kaheen paused to tear off a handful of vines that had become entangled with her foot. “A spy, you know. But that’s just gossip. And you wouldn’t believe how much gossip there is when a bunch of thugs and crooks are stuck together for weeks, with little to entertain them. And Janak won’t breathe a word about it. He barely even acknowledges the vankrai’s presence. Which only adds more fuel to the rumors, of course.”

They walked in silence for the next few minutes. As they crested the hill, the large, stone citadel came into view. Nestled in a narrow valley, the castle was stark and bare against the darkening sky – some of the walls damaged from years of neglect, the outer buildings dilapidated. The high stone fence that had once surrounded it was all but gone.

Yet, even from this distance, Ruban could see that the castle had once been magnificent. Grim and uninhabitable as they now looked, the weather-beaten stone towers with crumbling turrets would offer a majestic panorama of the surrounding land. The uniform gray façade of the citadel concealed square, even stones, painstakingly cut for aesthetics as much as practicality. The time he’d spent in the company of Aeriels had taught Ruban how fanatical they could be about their over-the-top artistic sensibilities.

He sighed. “I suppose it’ll be too risky to try and infiltrate it tonight.”

“It will. The only reason we got this far is that the day is cloudy and visibility is poor. Besides, the guards are too busy preparing for tomorrow’s festivities to keep watch as they should. Still, even if we manage to free Shwaan and Simani tonight, we’d be outnumbered ten to one.” She shook her head. “No. If this is going to work, we’ll need the distraction of the party. Now, let’s get off this hill. I don’t want anyone at the castle catching a glimpse of us, even in this godforsaken weather.”