Felitïa had been nodding off. Each time her head slumped over, she jerked back awake again. She tried laying her head on the table at one point, but discovered she wasn’t sure what to do with her hands in this state. That was going to cause a problem with sleeping. She usually liked to curl one hand up under her pillow as she slept. She would have to figure something else out while her fingers healed.

It was better that she stay awake now though. Anyone could arrive at any moment. Falling asleep could be deadly.

But no one had come yet in the hours since Nin-Akna and Rudiger had left. No one had come from below or above. There was still no sign of Fra-Ichtaca.

So she continued to wait. Perhaps she should have gone with Nin-Akna and Rudiger. It might have been more interesting. On several occasions, she considered heading deeper into the temple despite her promise. But they were right. In her current state, if she met opposition, she’d be in trouble.

A scraping noise came from upstairs—the Temple’s main doors opening. Felitïa sprang to her feet and moved through the archway into the corridor. She pressed herself against the wall and waited.

After a moment, a figure came down the stairs, and Felitïa let go of the sleeping spell she had been about to cast.

“Zandrue!” Felitïa stepped back through the arch.

“Felitïa? Oh gods, Felitïa!”

Zandrue rushed forward and hugged her. Felitïa hugged her back as best she could, although it was hard to apply any pressure to the hug without using her hands. Feelings of relief and joy—both hers and Zandrue’s—swam through her head

After a moment, Zandrue stepped back and wiped tears from her eyes. “Let me look at you.” She reached for Felitïa’s hands.

“Careful,” Felitïa said, pulling her hands back and holding them up.

Zandrue grimaced. “Shit, what happened?”

“One of the Queen’s Guards broke them all. Under Fra-Ichtaca’s orders.”

“Gods, that must have been horrible.”

Felitïa shrugged. “It was. Painful as hell. But I’m trying not to let it get me too down. Nin-Akna splinted them for me. They should heal in a month or so.”

“Nin-Akna?”

“One of the Youth Guard. There’s a lot to tell you.”

“Same here,” Zandrue said.

Felitïa indicated the table and chairs. “We seem to have some time.”

Zandrue shook her head. “There are Volgs beneath the Temple, Felitïa.”

“I know. They seem to be staying put for now.”

“Oh,” Zandrue said. “Is Rudiger here? Borisin seems to think he is. He brought me here anyway.”

Felitïa shook her head. “Sorry.” She sat at the table and motioned again for Zandrue to join her. “He and Nin-Akna went to Fra-Mecatl’s. Ses-Zeltzin was going there with soldiers to kill everyone. They were hoping to catch up. I stayed here to watch for Fra-Ichtaca, who’s disappeared below.”

Zandrue took a seat and Felitïa started filling her in on what had been happening. She started with the most recent events. There would be time later—she hoped—to go over earlier events.

“Oh gods!” Zandrue interrupted. “I almost forgot. I found Corvinian!”

“You did?”

Zandrue grinned. “Yeah. He’s waiting in the forest south of the City. Borisin should be with him by now.”

A huge weight lifted off Felitïa. Since getting to Ninifin, she hadn’t had a chance to even begin a search for the boy. She had been hoping learning the Ninifin secrets would help her, but that hadn’t gone well so far.

“We should go collect him,” Zandrue said, “and then head for Fra-Mecatl’s ranch. Rudiger and the others might need our help.”

“I need to get back down to the lower levels,” Felitïa said.

“And before we do that, we should regroup,” Zandrue said. “Go as a group. You’re in no condition to go on your own.”

“I know. That’s why I’m waiting for them to come back. We’ll regroup here.”

Zandrue nodded, but disappointment flooded Felitïa’s senses. “You’re right. I guess I’m just anxious to...”

“You’ll see Rudiger again,” Felitïa said.

“If he survives.”

Felitïa nodded. “Yes, if he survives, but he’s still alive right now.” She quickly checked the image of him in her head. “He’s injured, but not badly.”

A brief pang of guilt surged from Zandrue. “I forgot to say. I looked through the bodies of the dead from the attack on the Palace. Felitïa, I found Garet. He’s dead.”

It felt like a hole opened inside Felitïa’s stomach and everything fell in. The room seemed a little darker. She’d never liked Garet much, but she had developed a little respect for him recently. He was annoying as hell, but he wasn’t a terrible person. Her thoughts went more towards Quilla, though. Did Quilla know yet? Had she been there?

“I’m sorry,” Zandrue said.

Felitïa just nodded.

“I’ll go get Corvinian and bring him here.”

Felitïa shook her head. “No. Not yet. This isn’t the best place for him. We’d just be taking him straight back to the people you got him away from.”

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“Fair point.”

They sat there awhile longer while Felitïa continued telling Zandrue the details of the situation. Then she asked what Zandrue had been up to.

Zandrue sighed and Felitïa could feel anxiety building up in her. And some fear. The same fear and anxiety of old.

“Rudiger said you took off,” Felitïa said. “You had quite the argument apparently. It reminded me a lot of the way you used to take off from Elderaan’s.”

“It was exactly like that,” Zandrue said. “And for the same reasons. Felitïa, I need to tell you something, but I need to tell Rudiger too, and it’s going to be hard enough to do it once. I’d rather wait to tell you both at the same time. Is that okay?”

Felitïa nodded. “Of course. Whatever makes you comfortable.” She felt anxiety again, but this time it was her own. She had a strong suspicion of some of what Zandrue was going to say, but there was a lot she still didn’t know either—such as why she needed to keep taking off with so little notice. The thought that Zandrue might finally tell her was nerve-wracking.

Felitïa told a little more of her story, but realised if she got to the part about the locket, she’d give away that she already knew some of what Zandrue wanted to say. Would that make it easier or harder for her? Felitïa couldn’t be sure.

“Do you mind if I rest a little?” Felitïa asked.

Zandrue smiled at her. “Of course not.”

“It’s just I did a lot of spellcasting earlier. Some really tough casting and I’m exhausted.”

“It’s fine,” Zandrue said. “I’ll keep watch.”

Felitïa put her head down and closed her eyes, let her hands dangle at her side. Her own anxieties kept sleep at bay for a while, but it came eventually.

Felitïa.

That same voice-not-voice calling to her.

Felitïa.

She looked about the Room, trying to find its source. If there were a mental presence to go with it, she couldn’t find one. She brought up the line of figures and the two voices lined up perfectly. She moved along the line to Nin-Akna and then beyond. She tried to bring into focus the ones that were still blurred, but they wouldn’t change. Perhaps she could at least count how many more. But after the very next one, they all continued to blend together. She could tell there were more than one, but it was impossible to count the number.

Felitïa!

That one seemed more urgent.

Felitïa!

No, it was a different voice.

“Felitïa!”

She opened her eyes and lifted her head from the hard table.

A familiar child looked back at her. “Corvinian?” His hair had been dyed black and he was tanned, but it was him. She confirmed it by checking the Room and finding no presence of him there. She looked to Zandrue who was standing by the stairs.

“Don’t look at me,” Zandrue said. “I didn’t go get him. Borisin brought him. Damn horse. I told him to stay put, but he apparently didn’t listen.”

“We got tired of waiting,” Corvinian said. “So I convinced Borisin to bring me to you.”

Felitïa nodded. Her head was pounding, and her fingers, hands, and arms ached. “It’s all right. You’re here now.” She held out her arms to him and he hugged her.

“I knew you’d come for me,” he said.

She motioned for him to sit at the table. “I’m sorry it took so long. Tell me what you’ve been up to all this time.”

“After the Volgs took me away, they flew to a ship on the lake and kept me there in a cage overnight. There were humans there, too, helping the Volgs. The next day, they carried me back to land. Over the next few days, we kept going. South I think. They’d carry me while they flew for a few hours. Then we’d land for a while, then fly again. Finally, we arrived here in Ninifin and they gave me to Fra-Ichtaca. She was supposed to look after me until they came back for me. She said that I would be her son and she gave me a room with her daughter Nin-Xtab.

“It wasn’t too bad at first. I didn’t have to sleep in a cage anymore. I got my own bed. Not many Ninifins get their own bed. I went to school with Xtab and I had to start learning the language. Xtab and I became friends. She’s really nice.

“Fra-Ichtaca wasn’t so nice though. She wanted to know about my abilities. She tested me, had people attack me to see how my powers reacted. She tried to get me to control them, but I couldn’t figure out how. They just work on their own. You should have seen how they dealt with the guards when Zandrue rescued me. It was fucking awesome.”

Felitïa looked up at Zandrue, who looked away. “I will neither confirm nor deny where he got that language.”

“Uh huh.”

Zandrue came over to the table. “I will add one thing I noticed about that blue energy. It repelled the guards’ attacks, disintegrated their arrows and spearheads, threw dirt up in their faces, but never harmed any of them. Well, except maybe some bruises from being knocked over.”

“Yeah, it never hurts people,” Corvinian said. “Fra-Ichtaca tried to get it to a few times, but it never would.”

It had hurt her, Felitïa thought, remembering when she’d first met the boy and tried to find his mental presence. She wouldn’t easily forget losing her powers for several days. And it had practically thrown Ezmelda, though admittedly that hadn’t done serious damage.

“We’ve got company,” Zandrue said, indicating the archway.

Felitïa jumped to her feet and turned around. A pair of warriors had ascended the stairs in the hallway. One had already levelled his spear in her direction and was edging forward. The other raised his spear over the head of the first and followed.

“Get behind us, Corvinian,” Felitïa said. The boy was already crawling under the table while Zandrue came around it to stand beside her.

“Reverence!” the second warrior called as they entered the room and spread out side-by-side.

“Yes, what is it?” Fra-Ichtaca snapped. She had just reached the top of the stairs and when she turned towards the warriors, she stopped, even took a small step back. “What is this?” She darted behind the two warriors. She glared at Felitïa for a moment, but then her gaze fell on Zandrue and she leaned back, shaking. “I knew it! ”

Zandrue gave her a little wave.

“Kill that one and restrain—”

Felitïa didn’t bother listening to the entire command and put the nearest guard to sleep. The other lunged for Zandrue who threw herself backwards onto the table and rolled over. She landed on the other side.

Felitïa tilted her head in the opposite direction and put the second guard to sleep.

Fra-Ichtaca ran back to the stairs.

Both guards woke up again immediately after hitting the floor, but Felitïa kicked the first’s spear out of his reach and Corvinian reached out from under the table and pulled the second’s spear away. The first tried to draw a dagger, but Felitïa put him right back to sleep again. Zandrue took the spear from Corvinian, scrambled back over the table and drove the spear into the second’s neck. She then took off into the corridor.

“Zandrue, wait!” Felitïa called, but Zandrue was already running down the stairs and out of sight.

Felitïa ran to the edge of the stairs and looked down, but there was only darkness below. “Corvinian, grab a torch!”

She continued to watch down the stairs, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shadow or hear something. She thought she heard a distant thud, but Corvinian cried out. The sleeping guard had awoken and grabbed Corvinian. A familiar glow shot up around the boy and the guard let go with a cry of his own. Felitïa put him back to sleep. Hopefully, he’d stay out for a while this time.

Corvinian’s glow vanished. He got back to his feet, grabbed one of the torches, and lit it. Then he came over to Felitïa.

“Stay behind me.” She was about to begin down the stairs when Zandrue appeared at the bottom, dragging Fra-Ichtaca with her.

“It’s okay,” Zandrue called up. “I got her.”

“That was risky,” Felitïa said. “There could have been more warriors down there. Or Volgs.”

Zandrue heaved and lifted Fra-Ichtaca’s unconscious form, then started up the stairs. “Yeah, that thought occurred to me a little too late. But I really didn’t want her to get away.” She paused to adjust her hold on the priest. “I wouldn’t mind a little help now though. She’s heavy.”

Felitïa held up her hands. “Fingers, remember? Corvinian, put the torch back and help Zandrue.”

Corvinian nodded, and a few minutes later, they had Fra-Ichtaca tied to a chair in the entry room. They also tied up the remaining guard and moved him to the next room at the end of the corridor, where Felitïa put him to sleep again.