Elantris

she had recognized him when his best friends could not.

Uh-oh, he thought to himself.

'Sarene?' Roial asked. 'Princess, are you all right?'

Sarene looked around sheepishly, standing in front of her chair. She quickly

forgot her embarrassment, however, as her eyes fell on the furtive Kaloo. 'No, my lord, I don't think so,' she said. 'I think we need a break.' 'We haven't really been going that long…' Lukel said.

Sarene silenced him with a look, and no one else braved her wrath. 'A break it is,' Roial said slowly.

'Good,' Kiin said, rising from his seat. 'I have some Hraggish mearwraps cooling out back. I'll go get them.'

Sarene was so flustered that she barely even considered chastising her uncle for preparing a meal when she had expressly told him not to. She shot Kaloo a telling look, then stalked away from the table, apparently on her way to the privy. She waited in Kiin's study for a moment before the hapless impostor finally strolled around the corner.

Sarene grabbed his shirt and all but threw him against the wall as she pressed her face up against his.

'Spirit?' she demanded. 'What in the name of Gracious Domi are you doing here?'

Spirit looked to the side apprehensively. 'Not so loudly. Sarene! How do you think those men would react if they discovered they'd been sitting with an Elantrian?'

'But… how?' she asked, her anger turning to excitement as she realized it really was him. She reached up to wiggle his nose, which was far too long to be his real one. She was surprised when her fingers passed through the tip as if it weren't there.

'You were right about the Aons, Sarene,' Spirit said quickly. 'They're maps of Arelon-all I had to do was add one line, and the entire system started working again.'

'One line?'

'The Chasm,' Spirit explained. 'It caused the Reod. It was enough of a change in the landscape that its presence needs to be reflected in the Aons.'

'It works!' Sarene said. Then she released his shirt and gave him a bitter punch to the side. 'You've been lying to me!'

'Ow!' Spirit complained. 'Please. no punching-my body doesn't heal, remember?'

Sarene gasped. 'That didn't…?'.

'Change when we fixed AonDor?' Spirit asked. 'No. I'm still an Elantrian under this illusion. There's something else wrong with AonDor.'

Sarene resisted the urge to punch him again. 'Why did you lie to me?'

Spirit smiled. 'Oh, and you're going to try and tell me it wasn't more fun this way?'

'Well

He laughed. 'Only you would consider that a valid excuse. my princess. Actually. I never got the chance to tell you. Every time I tried to approach you these last few days, you ducked away-and you ignored the letter I sent you. I couldn't just jump in front of you and drop my illusion. I actually came to Kiin's last night in the hopes I would see you in the window.'

'You did?' Sarene asked with a smile.

'Ask Galladon,' Raoden said. 'He's back at Roial's right now eating all of the duke's Jaadorian candy. Did you know he had a weakness for sweets?' 'The duke or Galladon?'

'Both. Look, they're going to wonder what's taking us so long.'

'Let them.' Sarene said. 'All the other women have been mooning over Kaloo so much, it's about time I fell into line.'

Spirit began to chuckle, then he caught the dangerous look in her eyes and let

it taper off. 'It really was the only way. Sarene. I didn't have much choice-I had to act the part.'

'I think you acted it a little too well,' she said. Then she smiled, unable to remain angry.

He obviously caught the softening in her eyes, for he untensed. 'You have to admit, it was fun at times. I had no idea you were that good of a fencer.'

Sarene smiled slyly. 'My talents are plentiful. Spirit. And apparently so are yours-I had no idea you were that good of an actor. I hated you!'

'It's nice to feel appreciated,' Spirit said, letting his arms wrap around her.

Suddenly she was aware of his close proximity. His body was room temperature, and the unnatural coolness was unnerving. However, rather than pulling away, she let her head rest on his shoulder. 'So, why did you come? You should be back in New Elantris, preparing your people. Why risk coming out into Kae?'

'To find you,' he said.

She smiled. That was the right answer.

'And,' he continued, 'to keep you all from slaughtering each other. This country certainly is a mess, isn't it?'

Sarene sighed. 'And it's partially my fault.'

Spirit reached up to put his hands on her neck, rotating her head so she could see into his eyes. His face was different, but those eyes were the same. Deep and blue. How had she ever mistaken him for anyone else?

'You are not allowed to berate yourself, Sarene,' he said. 'I get enough of that from Galladon. You've done a wonderful job here-better than I could have even imagined. I assumed that these men would stop meeting after I left.'

Sarene paused, shaking herself from the trance of being lost in those eyes. 'What was that you just said? After you left…?'

Voices called from the other room, and Spirit winked at her, his eyes twinkling. 'We need to go back in. 'But. let's just say I have something else I need to tell you, once the meeting is through and we can speak more privately.'

She nodded in a half daze. Spirit was in Kae, and AonDor worked. She walked back into the dining room and sat down at the table, and Spirit entered the room a few moments later. One chair was still empty, however.

'Where's Ahan?' Sarene asked.

Kiin frowned. 'He left,' he declared in a bitter tone.

Lukel laughed, shooting Sarene a smile. 'The count claims that something he ate didn't agree with him. He… stepped out.'

'It's impossible,' Kiin grumbled. 'There was nothing in those crackers that could have upset his stomach.'

'I'm sure it wasn't the crackers, Uncle.' Sarene said with a smile. 'It must be something he ate before he came.'

Lukel laughed in agreement. 'Domi knows, that man eats so much it's a wonder he doesn't end up sick every night by pure laws of probability.'

'Well, we should continue without him.' Roial said. 'There's no telling how long he will be indisposed.'

Agreed,' Sarene said, preparing to begin again.

Roial. however, beat her to it. He stood slowly, his old body looking surprisingly weak. The duke sighed, shaking his head. 'If you will all forgive me, I have something to say?'

The nobles nodded, sensing the duke's solemnity.

'I will not lie to you; I never once debated whether or not action should be taken against Telrii. He and I have spent the last ten years as mercantile enemies. He is a flagrant, wasteful man-he will make a worse king, even, than Iadon. His willingness to even consider Hrathen's silly proclamation was the final proof I needed.

'No, my reason for demanding more time before we met was not to wonder if we should depose Telrii. The reason I asked for more time was to wait for some… associates of mine to arrive.'

'Associates?' Sarene said.

'Assassins,' Roial said. 'Men I have hired out of Fjorden. Not all the people of that country are perfectly loyal to their god-some are sworn to gold instead.' 'Where are they?' Sarene asked.

'Staying in an inn not far away,' Roial said.

'But,' Sarene said with confusion, 'just last week you warned us against letting bloodshed advance our revolt.'

Roial bowed his head. 'The guilt was speaking, dear Sarene, for I had already sent for these men. However, I