Estingai and her companions arrived just in time to hear a woman Estingai didn't recognize make the announcement. She stood on a low stone dais before a massive hangar, next to a man Estingai recognized as Mahele, and a young woman who had to be Vila's daughter.

"Anarak, Ironpeak's leader, has been murdered."

Estingai tensed, nearly falling into a fighting stance before Aaden stopped her. She wobbled her head in thanks before turning her attention back to the dais. The crowd had broken into a cacophony of murmurs, some casual, some disbelieving, others worried. There were a few who shouted and cried out. The woman on the dais did not speak.

Estingai looked to her companions, then nodded toward the dais. "Come on."

She caught Meik'ka grumble something as she started pushing her way through the crowd. She was firm, but didn't go fast enough to draw too much attention. She'd barely gotten a fifth of the way through before the woman on the dais spoke again.

"After investigating, this looks like a plot by Estingai and Frozen Phantom, carried out by her brother Koruuksi. The children of Kojatere have betrayed us, just as Kweshrima did."

Estingai froze as the crowd burst into an uproar.

What?

She shook herself, looking back to her companions. Their masks covered their expressions, but their postures were tense.

Aaden leaned in after a moment. "That's not what you sent him here to do, right?"

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Estingai frowned. "Of course not."

Unless Anarak betrayed us.

The man just nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Estingai looked back to the dais, brightening her clearnodes as she focused on Mahele and his daughter. The man looked stricken, shocked. The daughter was shaking her head. One of the guards looked like he was trying to say something to her, but she just kept shaking her head.

Her original plan of appealing to Anarak and Mahele had been cut to pieces, so Estingai steeled herself and continued to push forward, waving for the others to follow. Diplomacy had never been her strong suit, anyway. She was a fighter.

There's still something I can do.

***

Koruuksi stood frozen as Kytai's accusation sank in.

Anarak's dead?

That didn't make any sense.

Koruuksi tensed, whipping around when someone grabbed him by the shoulder. He shrugged it off and stared between Nomlana and Lysanda.

"You know I didn't do this," he said.

Their expressions were grim, but they nodded. "We know."

"You might be a liar, but you'd be far more screwed up if you'd just killed someone," Lysanda added. "Or if you thought Estingai had anything to do with it."

Nomalan's eyes widened and he turned on her. "I know he didn't do it, but you seriously believe—?"

Lysanda cut him off with a glare. "I don't know Estingai, but I know Koruuksi." Lysanda turned her gaze back to him. "You wouldn't be nearly as calm as you are right now if you thought she'd pulled something like this without telling you."

Koruuksi blinked, realizing he was calm.

Why the hell aren't I freaking out?

Then it hit him.

Koruuksi whirled back toward the dais, and brightened his clearnodes, focusing on Mahele, then Paiz. Both were shocked by Kytai's announcement.

They didn't know.

Mahele looked like he had lost all hope. Paiz, though. She kept shaking her head, mouth open, eyes wide as she stared at Kytai.

It wasn't Paiz. It wasn't Anarak. And I know it isn't Mahele.

That left only one person.

Before Koruuksi could move toward the dais, however, something happened to his right, just in front of it. People backed up, forming a hole in the crowd. Koruuksi raised himself up on his toes to get a better view, and his eyes widened as he recognized the person standing before the dais.