finger-“where would Geth be? And two”-she held up another-“why go to so much trouble for the rod when ambition and history books can show any ruler how to be a tyrant?”
Ashi shook her head. “I don’t know where Geth is. He might not even be in Rhukaan Draal anymore. We thought about running with the rod at one point. He might have done that. And the rod-”
She hesitated before saying anything more. Could she trust Benti with the ultimate secret of the rod? What if she couldn’t escape Tariic’s grasp? Benti knew everything else-and as long as they were conspiring against a throne, as Vounn had pointed out, a spy seemed like a good ally to have.
“The rod doesn’t just show its wielder how to behave like an emperor, it gives him the power to become one,” she said. “The wielder of the rod can force people to obey his commands. The magic Tenquis put in the false rod is just an imitation of the true rod’s power. The true rod is irresistible. My dragonmark can block its power and Geth is immune because of his connection with Wrath, but those are the only defenses we know. When we found it, the rod was used against us. Its power crushes your will.”
Even talking about the power of the rod, just contemplating what might happen if Tariic got his hands on it, left her feeling cold. Benti, eyes narrowed in thought, didn’t, but just narrowed her eyes in thought. Finally she said, “Midian knows all this?”
Ashi nodded. “He was there. He felt the power of the rod. He took the same oath to keep it a secret that all of us did. It was his idea to substitute a false rod for the real one.”
“Was it?” Her eyebrows came together. “Do you think he knows where Geth might be?”
“If I don’t, he doesn’t.” Ashi’s lips curled back from her teeth. “And you left him to be captured by Makka. Tariic could find out the power of the rod.”
“Don’t worry about Midian. Given how much interest Tariic is showing in the Rod of Kings, Ashi, I’d think he may already know.”
Ashi stared at her. “That’s not possible. We kept it a secret.”
“Possible or not, we should assume it’s a fact.” Benti drew a deep breath. “Thank you for your help. Now I think it’s time we got you to safety-and preferably out of Darguun.”
She concentrated and her face blurred once more, taking on the familiar coarse features, ruddy tones, and long mobile ears of Aruget. Ashi found herself continuing to stare at the changeling, no longer in shock at the fluid transformation but at the harshness of her tone.
“You’re going to leave Midian to Tariic? And what about finding Geth? You need me!”
“I don’t need you.” Aruget’s voice warbled like the voice of a boy becoming a man, then settled into its normal pitch and accent. “I can find Geth. And I told you, Midian can take care of himself.” Eyes that had been green and were now deep brown flecked with orange studied her. “You’re vulnerable, Ashi. Both Makka and Tariic are after you now. If you really want to help Geth-and Ekhaas and Dagii-you run, and you keep yourself alive. If you want to stay, though, you’re on your own. I can’t hold your hand anymore.” He adjusted his armor on a once-more bulky frame. “Does Vounn have a plan for getting you to safety?”
Churning confusion and boiling anger settled into a sick feeling in the pit of Ashi’s stomach. Benti… Aruget… whoever the changeling was, there was hard truth in his words. Geth had vanished, Midian was gone, Ekhaas and Dagii were far away. Vounn wouldn’t be able to help her either. She’d already told her what she would have to do if Tariic’s soldiers came for her. Aruget would look for Geth and the rod. Her usefulness was over-it was time to retreat from the fight.
“Pater d’Orien,” she said. “Vounn told him I may be called back to Karrlakton. He’s agreed to use his dragonmark to take me there.”
“Then I hope he’s willing to see late night visitors.” Aruget eased the door of the room open again and peered out cautiously.
Ashi caught his arm. “Wait. What’s your real name?” she asked.
He smiled and his ears flicked. “Whatever one belongs to the face I’m wearing,” he said.
They moved swiftly between floors, dashing down the stairs and ducking into doors whenever a guard appeared-and there were more guards roaming the halls than Ashi had ever seen before.
There was no point going back to her chambers. Daavn would have anticipated that. Vounn had probably been woken already. Ashi was doubly glad she’d kept the meeting a secret. The lady seneschal would at least be able to tell the truth in saying she had no idea where Ashi had gone.
“How do we get out? The exits are going to be guarded.” Ashi murmured in Aruget’s ear as they crouched in another dusty room, waiting for a guard to pass.
“If you can’t be silent,” Aruget answered with a sly smile, “make a lot of noise.”
He led her away from the grand areas of the castle into a region of narrow corridors thick with the smell of cooking. They were near the kitchens. “When Ko kidnapped Vounn, he brought her this way,” said Ashi. “Tariic won’t forget to guard the back gate.”
Aruget’s ears twitched. “Kitchens contain many interesting things.”
“Knives.”
“Cauldrons. Kettles. Noon paste. Korluaat.”
She looked at him questioningly. He shook his head. “This is something I’ll do more quickly alone.” He hurried her past a wide, high vaulted passage that led to the even wider caverns of the kitchens and down another. A pair of big doors, plain and scarred from frequent use, emerged from the gloom. Wet footprints showed on the stone of the floor-the doors opened to the outside of Khaar Mbar’ost and they’d been used recently. There would be guards on the other side.
Aruget went to a smaller door in the wall of the corridor and pushed it open, scanning the darkness inside. “Storeroom. Wait for me here and be ready to run. If I’m wearing a different face, I’ll wink. If I don’t come, get out on your own.”
Ashi stepped into the storeroom and was enveloped in the smell of unseen vegetables. She glanced back at Aruget. “Ko couldn’t see in the dark as Geth. How can you see in the dark as Aruget?”
“Let me keep some secrets.” He closed the door on her, leaving it open only a finger’s width. His footsteps, so quiet that if he hadn’t been wearing armor she probably wouldn’t have heard them at all, went back along the passage.
Ashi squatted down in the shadows and tried to recapture the same patience and alertness she’d felt while waiting for the meeting on the rooftop. “Ashi, daughter of Ner,” she murmured under her breath, “son of Kagan, son of Tyman, son of Joherra, daughter of Wroenna, daughter of Maal…”
Time stretched out. Patience didn’t come and there was no need to stave off weariness-Ashi didn’t feel like she’d ever sleep again. She should have asked Aruget to bring a knife from the kitchen for her. A crude blade was better than no weapon at all.
There would be questions when she returned to Karrlakton. The lords of House Deneith would want to know why she had come back so suddenly. What would she tell them? What could she tell them? What would she do-?
Running footsteps echoed in the passage. Ashi pushed herself to her feet and backed into the darkness of the storeroom. But when the door swung open, the dim lights beyond shone on Aruget. He dived inside, pulling the door almost closed behind him.
“Aruget,” she whispered, “what-?”
Anything she might have said was lost in an incredible boom that sounded as if someone had thrown a massive bell against the wall of the fortress. It was followed by a tremendous crash of collapsing metal. A quavering shriek started up, stretching on and on without pause.
One of Aruget’s hands found hers. The other pressed itself over her mouth. Out in the passage, the big outer doors were flung open and booted feet raced by. The opening of the outer doors nudged the door of the storeroom a little wider and Ashi caught a glimpse of hobgoblin guards running for the kitchen with drawn swords. The open doors also drew warm air from inside the fortress. Suddenly she could smell smoke, weirdly scented and stinging.
“Go!” said Aruget. He released her and leaped for the storeroom door. She followed close behind.
Two unlucky guards lingered in the open doors. One saw them and opened his mouth to shout. Aruget’s sword took him across the belly and then back across the throat in two swift cuts. Ashi dealt the other one a hard punch to the jaw that spun him around and dropped him to his knees. Aruget turned and swung his sword a third
