though he fell silent as soon as she mentioned Gaven’s name. That was when the staring began.
At last he broke the silence, though he didn’t look away. “Last I heard, Gaven was in Dreadhold,” he said, watching her carefully. “In fact, I heard you were the one who put him there.”
She held his gaze. “I thought he was possessed and needed help.”
“You thought his actions might disgrace your family and get in the way of your social climbing.”
Rienne felt a surge of anger but held it down, making sure no trace of it showed on her face. “Is that what he told you?”
“Something like that.”
“When did you talk to him last?”
“Sixteenth of Zarantyr.”
“Zarantyr? Three months ago?”
“Sorry, was I not clear? Three months and twenty-six years ago. Just before they locked him up.”
Rienne sighed and looked away. She remembered that month, all those years ago. It had been a cold winter, and she’d spent many hours staring out windows at snow-draped fields and blank white skies. She looked sharply at Krathas again.
“Just before? The sixteenth?”
“That’s right.”
“That was after his trial. Was he here? In Vathirond?”
Krathas stared at her for another long moment. “Not then, no. I spoke to him at a Sivis message station. They let him put his affairs in order before they locked him up.”
“What did he ask you to do?”
“I’m afraid that’s between him and me, Lady Alastra. I’m sure if he had wanted you involved, he would’ve contacted you.”
“Krathas, if you’re not inclined to help me, I shall be forced to consult with another member of your esteemed House Tharashk. It would be unfortunate if I accidentally mentioned to them how a certain half-orc inquisitive used to give Gaven leads on finding dragonshard deposits for House Lyrandar. I understand that’s a business House Tharashk would rather keep a tight hold on.”
She had hoped to avoid playing that card. She wasn’t positive that Gaven’s information had come from Krathas-Gaven had always been very cagey about revealing his source. And she wasn’t sure that House Tharashk hadn’t known about it, perhaps collected large fees from Gaven for that information. She had leaped from a couple of hunches, and she dearly hoped they proved accurate.
Krathas’s face registered nothing, but he was silent again for a long moment, studying her. When he spoke again, his voice was much quieter. “He told you that?”
“Something like that.”
“There’s no way you can prove that.”
So her hunches had been on the mark. “Do I need to?”
Krathas took a deep breath and let it slowly out through his nostrils. “Very well, Lady. What is it you want from me?”
“Gaven has escaped,” Rienne said, watching Krathas carefully. His eyebrows raised, but she couldn’t judge whether he was genuinely surprised. “I have a hard time believing you hadn’t heard that already.”
“My sources aren’t what they once were.”
“I hope that won’t diminish your usefulness to me. I want to find him before the forces of the four dragonmarked houses who are scouring Khorvaire at this moment do, and that’s where I need your help.”
“If I didn’t know he escaped, how can I possibly know where to find him?”
“I know he was arrested here in Vathirond, and you just told me he contacted you after his conviction and had you do something for him. I assume there’s something here he cares about, maybe even something he’ll come back here for. What is it?”
“It’s been almost thirty years, Lady.”
“I assume he planned for the possibility that it would be even longer before he was able to return. That’s why he contacted you.”
For the first time, Krathas smiled, revealing uneven rows of broken teeth. “I begin to see what Gaven admired in you, Lady Alastra.”
Rienne returned his smile. “Wait until you see me in a fight.”
CHAPTER 15
Gaven found himself staring up into the face of the Traveler.
At least, he assumed it was the Traveler. A goblin was carved in the great frieze, crouching at the feet of the mysterious sixteenth god, stepping out of the line formed by the other fifteen gods. She wore a quirky smile that seemed out of place in the ancient sculpture of Dhakaan-an expression that made this one goddess seem more real than the others in their majestic stillness. Gaven shot a grim smile back at the trickster-god and sat up.
His smile fell from his face when he saw that he was not alone. “Senya!”
“Come,” she said, “we need to get out of here.” She stepped over to him and extended a hand to help him up. He stood without her help.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I think I’m helping you achieve your destiny. Now move!” She started out the cave entrance, and he followed, reluctantly. “Senya, wait a moment-”
“No! Haldren could be back any second. We need to be out of sight and as far away as we can get.”
That got Gaven moving. He followed Senya as she retraced their steps out of the ancient city. Gaven cursed to himself all the way. He had hoped to make a clean break with Haldren and all his business. He wanted to be rid of them all, certainly including Senya.
They made their way down the rocky valley, following the dry riverbed as it wound between the cliffs. The ground sloped steadily downward along the ancient river’s course to the sea. Soon the wall of Paluur Draal with its enormous carved guardians was out of sight behind them.
Feeling they’d put enough distance between them and the city, Gaven lunged forward and grabbed Senya’s arm, pulling her to a stop. “How many times do I have to tell you that I am not the Storm Dragon?”
“You can say it all you want,” she said. She stepped closer and looked up into his eyes. “Sooner or later you’ll realize you’re wrong.”
“I also made it clear that I’m not interested in you.”
She put a hand on his face and pressed herself closer to his chest. “You’ll come to recognize that mistake as well.”
He stepped back and pushed her away. “Listen, Senya, you are the one making a terrible mistake here. Go find Haldren. Maybe Vaskar’s not the Storm Dragon, but you can still go with Haldren. Maybe you’ll end up the queen of something.”
Senya scoffed. “A queen at Haldren’s side? I’d rather spend the rest of my life in the Realm of Madness.”
“I thought you loved him.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Love him? That old man?”
“You only stayed with him because of the power you thought he could give you.”
“He was much more exciting when he was younger.”
“I have nothing to offer you, Senya. I can’t even pretend to love you, and I have no plans to seize any throne, mortal or divine.”
“What are your plans, then? Maybe I have something to offer you.”
Gaven threw up his hands and continued down the valley. “I don’t have any plans. I didn’t think past getting away from all of you, and I even failed at that. You want to come with me? Fine. We’ll end up dead or back in Dreadhold together.”
Gaven walked for a while in silence before looking back over his shoulder. Senya trailed behind him, her eyes
