Zandrue grimaced. She felt a bit guilty for not catching him, but she needed him to be in pain when he woke to fit her story. The dose she had given him should keep him asleep for forty to forty-five minutes or so. The hit to his head might cause him to sleep longer, but she couldn’t rely on that. It wasn’t a lot of time, so she could be confident Fra-Ichtaca and Tadstaime would not be done before she got back, but she would also have to make the most of her limited time.

She took servant’s clothes from her pack and changed into them. Up close, she wouldn’t pass for one of Fra-Ichtaca’s servants, but she hoped from a distance, she might not be as noticeable.

She opened the door a crack and peered out. Once she was certain there was no one about, she slipped out, closed the door behind her, and struck out across the grounds. She did her best to keep close to as many trees and plants as she could. As soon as she saw anyone in the distance, she changed direction and got a tree or other obstruction between her and the other person as fast as she could.

Getting into the main house was out of the question. She’d be caught for sure. However, Fra-Ichtaca was not likely to keep her biggest secrets in the main house. If she had as many visitors as Tadstaime, she wouldn’t want to risk anyone stumbling on something they shouldn’t know. Just like Tadstaime didn’t keep her collection of poisons on display.

Zandrue made her way to one of the side buildings, a building about the size of a common person’s house in the City. She scurried through the chicken coop to its side, which caused more than a few squawks from the birds, but that didn’t bother her. People here were surely used to hearing chickens making a ruckus from time to time.

She sneaked up to the back window and peered inside. Just a kitchen with some servants cooking. She should have clued in with the chicken coop right outside it.

She peered round the front again. A couple servants walked past, and nearby a couple of guards headed in the opposite direction. She waited until they were out of sight, and continued on.

She made her way to a couple more buildings, one a grain silo, the next a tool shed. She circled clear of what was obviously the servants’ building. Too many people would be coming in and out.

The next building was the shape and size of a common house again, but no chicken coop this time. She sneaked round to the back window and ducked under it. A woman’s voice came from within.

“As the fires rose and prepared to engulf her, Eleuia showed no fear. Instead, she made a final proclamation. Nin-Xtab, can you tell me what she said?”

Nin-Xtab. Fra-Ichtaca’s adopted daughter.

“I don’t remember the exact words, Reverence,” a child’s voice replied.

“I don’t need the exact words, child, just the meaning behind them.”

“She said the Dragon would be defeated.”

“Yes, but she said a bit more than that.”

“I’m sorry, Reverence. I’m not sure.”

“Nin-Cakulha, what about you?”

“She said the Dragon’s defeat would come soon,” another child replied, the voice familiar. “That the fires he spread across the land would be put out, and he himself would be executed. He laughed at her as she died, but he was captured and executed by the Foliths the very next year.”

Could it be?

“Very good, Nin-Cakulha,” the woman said.

Zandrue sniffed at the air. Too far to tell, and his scent had always been strangely hard to identify anyway. Heart pounding, she pressed her back against the wall of the house and rose up beside the window, peered in.

Jackpot.

There were only three people in the room: a young woman dressed in the white robes of a priest of Frana, a young girl, and Corvinian.

He looked different. His skin was tanned and his hair was no longer the sandy brown it used to be, but black like most Ninifins’. Hair was easily dyed though. It was definitely Corvinian.

There was no way to get him out now, but at least she knew where he was.

She made her way back to the sweat house as fast as she could, hoping Nin-Yuluk hadn’t awakened early or that a servant hadn’t intruded upon the sweat house. In general, servants knew not to disturb nobles using sweat houses—and she’d been dressed like a noble on arrival—but if one had noticed the lack of a guard outside, they might have thought Zandrue had left already.

Nin-Yuluk still lay on the floor when she slipped inside, and she sighed with relief. She changed her clothes, then picked up Nin-Yuluk by the shoulders and dragged him over to the benches. He was heavy, but she managed to get him onto a bench. Then she grabbed the wine pitcher. It was supposed to be empty, so she dumped the remaining contents over the embers. The sweat house needed steaming up anyway. Unfortunately, it also caused the building to smell of burnt honey, but that cleared after a few minutes. Zandrue sat beside Nin-Yuluk and placed his head on her lap. Then she waited.

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About fifteen minutes later, he groaned, put a hand to his head, and opened his eyes.

“What? What the hell? What happened?”

“You slipped and fell,” Zandrue said. “Don’t you remember?”

“Fell?” He jumped to his feet, then swayed a bit, and clutched at his head.

“Careful! You don’t want to fall again.”

“I fell?”

“Yes. It was very sudden. You walked over to give me a hand with the water bucket, but the floor must have been a little wet. You really don’t remember?”

He shook his head and rubbed at his temples.

“I’ve heard hits to the head can cause memory loss,” Zandrue said. “Hopefully, it’s not too serious. You remember me, don’t you?”

He nodded. “Yes, I remember you.”

“Oh, good. I was so worried. I’ve been trying to tend to you, but I didn’t really know what to do. I thought of going for help, but I worried you might get in trouble for letting me out of your sight. So I waited here and just hoped you’d wake up.” She sighed deeply. “I feel so relieved now.”

Nin-Yuluk went over to the door and retrieved his spear.

“Don’t worry,” Zandrue continued. “Their Reverences haven’t returned. Nobody knows, and I won’t tell if you won’t. I was thinking, maybe we should go back to the pavilion. That way, they’ll never even know you came inside the sweat house.”

He nodded.

Zandrue put her shawl on, picked up the empty pitcher and cup, and headed to the door. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“I think so. Just don’t tell anybody I fell.”

“Like I said, I won’t tell a soul.”

The fruit was still sitting on the table at the pavilion. It had attracted some flies and wasps, but Zandrue shooed them away. Then she enjoyed the fruit while she waited for Tadstaime to return. Nin-Yuluk was too confused and embarrassed to do much more talking, which suited her fine. He did suggest they get together some time, and she agreed, but was non-committal about a specific time.

“Ses-Xipil keeps me busy,” she said. “But I’ll get word to you as soon as I can.”

She felt bad for him. He seemed nice enough, but there were too many other important things going on to even consider something like that at the moment.

Later, as soon as the wagon began its journey back, Tadstaime said, “Tell me what you learnt today, Lacquaime.”

Zandrue peered across the wagon at her.

“I assume you spent your time gathering information, not just lounging in the pavilion getting drunk or sweating away in the sweat house.”

Zandrue smiled. “You knew I’d do something?”

“You are arcraime. You would not pass up a chance like that. Especially at your age, young and eager to prove yourself. I would not have taken you with me if I did not want you to try something like that, which I’m sure you know. So tell me, what did you learn?”

“I have a good idea of the layout of the villa now.”

“Good.”

“I saw Fra-Ichtaca’s daughter, and a boy with her.”

Tadstaime nodded.

“Who’s the boy?” Zandrue asked.

Tadstaime smiled. “I will tell you, but first, I want to give you something.” She stood up and went over to a storage chest, stumbling as the wagon rattled on the bumpy road. She opened the chest and took out a wooden box, then carried it back to her seat and sat down. “I got a shipment of these in last week, but I’ve been waiting for a special occasion before opening them. However, I can’t wait any longer, and now is special enough.” She opened the box, reached in and took out a small candy cube.

The scent reached Zandrue and her mouth started to water.

Tadstaime closed her eyes and placed the cube in her mouth. She chewed slowly.

“Albekt?” Zandrue hadn’t had albekt in over a decade.

“Humans don’t know how to make good candy,” Tadstaime said. “They never make it sweet enough. They don’t have the capacity to understand true sweetness.”

Tadstaime took another piece from the box, then passed it to Zandrue. “Help yourself, my dear.”

Zandrue took out a piece. “How did you get these?”

“I had them shipped from home. It costs a fortune, so I can’t do it often. Once a year, generally.”

Zandrue looked at the piece of candy. “My mother used to make these.”

“So did everyone’s mother. I think you’ll find these a particularly fine variety.”

“Thank you.”

“Have as many as you want.”

“Oh, I couldn’t—”

Tadstaime laughed. “Nonsense. It does me good to share them with someone who will appreciate them. All I ask is that you leave a few for me.”

Zandrue stuffed the piece in her mouth. Then another. And a couple more.

She didn’t have many good memories of childhood, but eating albekt was one of the few. She closed her eyes and let the tears run down her face.

When she opened her eyes again, Tadstaime was smiling at her. “Now then. You wanted to know of the boy. Fra-Ichtaca and her human allies don’t understand the full extent of what he is and represents. We call him the Child of the Volgs.”

“Child of the Volgs? But he’s human.”

“Yes, he’s human, but he’s important. He is the End. Or rather he will be.”

“I don’t understand. The end of what?”

“The end of our imprisonment. Through him, we will roam the world again. I’ll explain in more detail later, but know that through that child, humans and Isyar will never again be able to stand against us. We shall retake our rightful place, and perhaps even repay humans and Isyar in kind and imprison them the way they imprisoned us. But whatever we do, the Volganth people will never be imprisoned again. We will be free. Say it with me, my dear. Enjoy all that it portends.”

Zandrue swallowed her latest piece of albekt. She needed to find a way to get Corvinian out of there, and find Felitïa and Rudiger. And she needed to do it fast. “We will be free.”