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.“Well, that’s a matter of some dispute, as old Hallowdant is fond of saying.I got there too late to—”Engrossed in this exciting discussion, both men entirely missed the beautiful young woman who sprinted across the passage right behind them, her hair streaming behind her, following the same route the man with the sword had taken.An ambitious young wizard of war, whom both Tracegar and Nurennanthur held a low opinion of, could hardly miss her, however—being as she ran into and right over him as he stepped out of a room with his head down, intent on the scroll he’d just selected.The scroll went flying; he crashed to the flagstones fighting for breath and feeling decidedly bruised; and his assailant raced on without a moment’s hesitation.Toward the well-lit Loyal Maid’s Hall, as it happened, so Wizard of War Surgol Velard could watch her gale-swift sprint.To his mind, an unfamiliar young woman running through the palace could only mean trouble.She must be a thief—or worse.Having regained his feet and his breath, Surgol Velard raised his hands grandly, aimed his wand with his usual unnecessary but satisfying flourish—and sent her to sleep.Velard walked over and blinked down at the fallen woman.Crown and Throne, but she was beautiful! Not much older than he was, if that.This was one interrogation he’d handle himself.His first, and overdue.Veteran war wizards seemed to think him unready for such duties, but thankfully—during this brief reign of chaos—there were no older Crown mages around to order him about, finding fault with what he said and did, or to step in and sweep him aside.“Guards!” he called hopefully, excitement rising in him.“Guards!”Two duty Dragons were always stationed in Loyal Maid’s Hall, and he was pleased when they came trotting, respectful frowns on their faces just as if he were the lord warder, or Lady Glathra in full roar.“Manacle this captive,” he ordered sternly, “and secure her by the throat to a wall ring in the Mages’ Dutychamber off the Long Passage.The keys here in my hand, the moment you’re done.”“Of course, saer,” they murmured, plucking up the limp woman as if she were a rag doll.A beautiful rag doll that needed handling as gentle as it was thorough.“What’re you doing to her?” Velard snapped.“Orders, saer.All captives to be searched for weapons, saer.”“Unless I countermand such standing orders, loyal blades! Stop pawing her, and get her to the dutychamber!”“Yes, saer.”Was that unison reply sullen? Well, no matter.As long as they obeyed.“Bear up, Lord Stormserpent,” Illance said sternly.“You can’t expect to prod the sleeping lion and then quail when it awakens with a roar.”“B-but they’ve been waiting for this,” Marlin hissed at him, eyes wild.“The man with the beholders, the one who takes over minds! He’s of the palace!”“A courtier?” Illance asked sharply.“How do you know this?”“He’s been in my head,” came the snarled reply, accompanied by a trembling grab for the nearest decanter.After a long, deep swig—amid the gasps that greeted his latest words—Stormserpent added, “I know not his name or face, but he’s someone of rank who gives orders.Not a maid or cook or doorjack—someone who matters.”“These beholders,” Lord Illance snapped.“Were they alive—or did they look dead or wounded, perhaps rotting? Think hard, now.Try to remember how they looked.”Marlin stared at him then blinked.Frowned, and blinked again.“They did look rotten, here and there,” he said slowly.“Yes …”Lord Illance nodded and sat back, looking around the table.“Some of the older, more madwits wizards of war were working with such foul things.Your mindworm must be one of them.If they’re after you now, these Crown renegades, we’ve no time to waste.”Three lordlings started to speak at once, but Illance held up a hand, and silence fell in an instant.He leaned forward to peer into Marlin’s eyes.“Hear me well, Lord Stormserpent,” he said, in a voice that was soft yet had a hard, sharp edge to it.“The only way to avoid being hunted down and butchered as a traitor is to use your pair of blueflame ghosts—”A sudden tension filled the air, a bristling around the table.Illance held up his other hand to quell it and continued.“Oh yes, lord, your mastery of them has been noticed by more than a few lords of this land, believe me.No courtiers yet, I hope, save perhaps this traitor with the death tyrants—but your only hope is to trust that he dare not reveal himself yet.Use your ghosts, just as soon as you can, to seize King Foril.”The tension this time came with amazed oaths, but Lord Illance had run out of hands with which to quell.“Then,” he continued, his eyes still locked on Marlin Stormserpent’s, “you must deceive our aging Obarskyr into thinking you are daringly rescuing him from the ghosts, in a staged battle
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