Kevlin nearly collided with Drystan and Jerrik in an intersection of two halls as he followed the page who had summoned him to meet with the prince.

Jerrik clapped Kevlin on the shoulder and Drystan said, "Summoned to the prince's council?"

Kevlin nodded. "You too?"

"I hope it's something good," Jerrik muttered, rubbing his hands together. "Like the location of those Makrasha. Nothing like a good fight to end the day."

Kevlin shrugged. The page he was following had said only that he needed to report to the prince immediately. They followed him into the military wing of the palace to a book-lined study. Prince Lievin and Harafin were already there, seated in ladder-back chairs around a round table.

Harafin motioned them to a seat. Leander and Gabral entered the room a moment later, followed by Nikias. Leander looked his normal self with freshly trimmed beard and new Stalwart uniform.

They all took seats around the table and waited. A moment later, Ceren and Indira entered the room. Kevlin and the others rose and offered the ladies their chairs. Kevlin watched Indira for any sign of how she felt, but she barely looked at him. She fingered her deck of basic playing cards, an outward sign of worry, but did not start shuffling them.

As soon as the ladies were seated Harafin said, "I have received a Mindlink communication from Tamera."

Kevlin exchanged a puzzled look with Drystan. Sentinels often communicated across vast distances via mind-to-mind connections they called Mindlink. Kevlin knew little about it other than the fact that the farther one reached to make the connection, the effort increased exponentially. To communicate all the way to Tamera was impressive.

Harafin continued. "The emperor is caught in a deadly curse there. His life is in danger."

Gabral leaped to his feet, reaching for the hilt of the Mace that protruded over his shoulder. Nikias followed suit and raised the Bladestaff as if to summon its fire.

Harafin waved him down. "Calm yourselves. You can do no good rushing about, burning things here in Diodor. Felix is leading the effort to contain the curse before it threatens the rest of the palace."

As Gabral sank back into his seat Ceren asked, "Is Tamera really in danger with all the protection surrounding it?"

Harafin said, "Perhaps. The wards guarding Tamera are very powerful, but they were designed to keep an enemy out. It appears an enemy infiltrated the palace and entrapped the emperor in the council chamber."

Kevlin spoke up. "I don't understand. If the emperor survived the initial strike, why can't the Sentinels break the spell? You've said repeatedly that Tamera is home to the greatest number of Sentinels in the world."

"Felix led the effort to do just that, but the emperor's life is linked to the spell and hangs in the balance. From the description of the curse, it rivals one that I have seen only once a long time ago. I managed to diffuse that one, but it was extremely complex."

He swept his gaze around the room. "This information must remain secret. I leave for Tamera at once. I hope to break the curse and save the emperor's life. Hallvarr lost its king. We cannot afford to lose the emperor too."

Gabral said, "I'm going with you. I'm the emperor's champion and must return to his side.”

Everyone else around the table chimed in, volunteering in a rush to accompany Harafin and offering their reasons why he should let them come. Kevlin raised his voice with the others. He was not about to let Harafin slip away. He had too many questions that needed answering.

Harafin called for quiet. "I had expected you would feel this way, and you are right. There are many reasons why this company should remain together. We have a work still to accomplish."

Leander raised his voice for the first time. "I will stay here. I must continue the hunt for Tanathos."

Harafin said, "There is more you should hear, my old friend. The curse inscribed a message into the wall of the council chamber. Abaval will rule the world."

"Impossible," Kevlin exclaimed.

Leander's face reddened with anger at the mention of his ancient enemy's secret name. Only in the final moments of the battle of Il'Aicharen when Tanathos had been convinced of victory had he revealed his secret name, the name Leander had been hunting for nearly a century.

Ceren asked, "How is that possible. Tanathos couldn't have reached Tamera already."

"Even if he did, he wouldn't have had time to plan and execute an infiltration of the palace," Gabral added.

"No," Harafin agreed. "Regardless, very few know the import of that name. I am convinced the message was written for us."

"He's summoning us to the palace," Drystan said.

Harafin said to Leander, "I believe you will find your quarry in Tamera."

Prince Lievin spoke for the first time, "Our prayers and best wishes go with you all. There is a large merchant ship in the harbor that just completed minor repairs. It claims to have recently broken the record for passage from Parthalan."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Harafin nodded. "The ship that bore Ah'Shan to Diodor. It will do nicely."

The prince rang a bell to summon a servant and commanded the man to send word to the ship to prepare to receive passengers and to be ready to sail with the next tide.

Harafin said, "Go pack. We leave with the morning tide." As they all rose and moved toward the door, he added a final thought. "When we arrive in Tamera, be on your guard. I suspect we will find much more than one deadly curse arrayed against us there."

# # #

Kevlin stood near the bow of the Ceara as the large merchant vessel ran south on a beam reach under a strong wind. The Ceara was as fine a vessel as any he had sailed on. She was a large, double masted, square-rigged ship.

An ample central hold nestled between the two masts while a quarterdeck began abaft of the mainmast and ran to the stern. She was flying most of her sail, and the crew scurried to the bo'sun's commands. The decks were scrubbed and the equipment orderly.

The feeling of sailing on a well-run ship before a brisk wind filled an empty space inside Kevlin he had not realized existed. He hadn't sailed for years, and stepping aboard the Ceara in the pre-dawn chill had triggered a wave of memories that swept through him like a storm surge.

While many of the others had gone belowdecks to escape the biting chill, Kevlin had moved to the bow. Memories long-dimmed by years of neglect flitted behind his eyes. He remembered the years spent growing up on his father's merchant ship with a clarity that startled him. The morning passed quickly and he watched the rising sun with a sense of coming home.

His reverie was broken when one soldier cursed, then bowed toward the statue of Ashera nestled ahead of the foremast at the edge of the forecastle. Kevlin followed the man's gaze and bit back a curse of his own.

The western horizon was thick with ugly red clouds. The weather came from the west so it looked like rain would likely strike later that day. It was the coloring of the clouds that made the sailor swear. Rarely were western clouds colored red before noon. Sailors considered it a bad omen.

Kevlin thought back to the Bloodset that had stained the western horizon shortly before the recent conflict began. This horizon was not nearly so threatening, but he still felt a chill sense of foreboding.

He forced himself to turn away and move belowdecks to join the others. As he passed the statue of Asherah, a fixture on all Meinarri vessels, he couldn't help but bow just a little to her.

He smiled at himself as he descended the ladder. He hadn't offered much service to Asherah since leaving the ocean at age fourteen to seek his fortune. Still, while aboard a ship, the habit was so ingrained from his earliest childhood, he had to pay the Lady at least a little respect. It would be an insult not to, and he couldn't afford to insult any of the gods.

The company crammed into the captain's private dining room for. It was a tight fit, especially with the ladies on board. In addition to Ceren, Indira, and the diminutive archer Adalia, Lady Miren and one of her handmaidens were present. Lady Miren had decided to return to Tamera to comfort her cousin, the keisara, Fideima Tamarr Tegnazian during this difficult time.

Kevlin wished he could have found a way to sit next to Indira. He would have enjoyed the close contact. Instead, he ended up wedged between Jerrik and Lady Miren's handmaiden. He tried not to crowd the young woman too much, but they were pressed so tight in the bench he bumped her whenever he moved.

She looked very uncomfortable, almost sick. She was probably nervous about being forced into such close contact with so many soldiers. He tried to ease her mind as a way to keep from staring at Indira while they waited for the captain to arrive.

"What's your name?"

"Sitara," she said softly.

Kevlin looked more closely at her. Jerrik and even Gabral turned at the sound of her voice. She spoke with such a sweet, clear tone, it was like the song of a bird. Kevlin wanted to hear more.

She was petite, with a round face, delicate features, and straight brown hair that fell to her shoulders. He recognized her as the same pretty young maid who attended Lady Miren the night they arrived in Diodor.

"Well, Sitara, I apologize for jostling you so much."

"It's quite all right, my lord," she said with a little smile, although she refused to lift her eyes from the table.

"Just be happy Nikias isn't here," Kevlin said.

Jerrik laughed. "He'd probably have set the sails on fire by now."

Sitara joined the general laughter, and the sound seemed to float above the others. Lady Miren smiled at her. "It's been lovely having your assistance, Sitara. I'm more than a little tempted to try to convince Fideima to let me keep you."

"You are too kind, my lady."

Captain Sankar squeezed into the room then and ordered them to set to the food. Conversation faded as everyone obeyed with a will. Lunch was surprisingly generous.

Kevlin remembered simple rations aboard his father's ship, but Captain Sankar knew how to treat royalty. The table was filled with an astonishing array of foods, more than most ships' galleys could produce.

While they ate, Ceren asked Harafin if he had any further news of the emperor's condition.

"No, but I am confident Felix will be successful in containing it until we arrive."

As Harafin spoke, Sitara trembled and shrank lower, as if she wished to hide under the table. Kevlin smiled to himself and remembered how awed he'd been when he first met the legendary Sentinel.

Now, after spending the past couple of weeks with him and surviving such an incredible ordeal, Kevlin felt he knew Harafin at least a little. Then Ceren's suspicion about Harafin trickled into his thoughts. He pushed the thought away but knew it would keep returning until Harafin clarified his intentions.

Gabral spoke. "This Felix character sounds weak. Are you sure he's the right man for the job?"

Harafin said, "Don't underestimate Felix. He is one of the few living Sentinels to claim the honor of defeating a Sigrun single-handedly."

"I never heard about that," Ceren said. She leaned forward, her emerald eyes sparkling with interest. "Tell us about it."

When others also called for the story, Harafin nodded. "Very well. During the last great war, when the tide was turning in our favor. One of the Sigrun decided to hunt me down alone to settle a personal score. His name was Zvonko. He was a particularly unpleasant individual, even for a Sigrun."

"He and I had clashed a couple of times and although neither of us won a decisive victory, I had beaten him. He ambushed me in the borderlands and we fought there.

"I defeated him."

Silence settled over the cramped cabin. Those three words spoke volumes. Harafin added, "But that is a tale for a different time. Felix's story follows that event."

"After Zvonko's death, a second Sigrun, a sworn gift-brother of his, decided to finish what Zvonko started."

"What was his name?" Drystan asked.

"I do not know. We had defeated two other Sigrun during that war and he was the newest member of their council. He hunted me, seeking revenge."

Kevlin shuddered to think of one of the Sigrun hunting him. He had only caught a glimpse of their power when they possessed the ShadeLeech Merab in Baldev, but that had been enough. The memory of their declaration that he was marked for death made him suddenly lose his appetite.

Harafin continued. "Before this Sigrun could make an attempt on my life, Felix intercepted him. They fought a mighty duel. When I arrived to help, I found them both lying together, hands around each others' throats."

Lady Miren made a little squeak of fear and covered her mouth with her napkin.

"I apologize if I frightened you. Suffice it to say, the Sigrun lay dead while Felix could barely be called alive. With great effort, I managed to revive him."

Harafin pointed a carrot at Gabral. "That is the legacy of Felix. I trust him with my life."