“Right,” she said, telling herself to remind him later that shedidn’t need actual sex instructions.
“But that was just my experience,” he said. “You might want to bemore flexible.”
Spirits, she did not want to know what kind of flexibility hemeant. “I’ve got it.”
“Okay,” he said with a chuckle, holding up his hands. He pointedtoward the fire before leaning in. “Are you going to try it on tonight afterthe lights are out?”
She was about to snap that they were in the middle of a crisis,but his suggestion was one way to be alone. “Yep, right now.”
He leaned back, eyes wide. “Now? Than, we haven’t finisheddiscussing—”
“Nope, sorry, right now. Loins afire and all that.” She nearlyraced back, snatching up a candle Illis was using to dig around in his tent.
“Hey,” he said, but she paid him no mind.
“Sorry, everyone,” she said. “Time to be alone. Romance andsuch.” She laughed, knowing she sounded awkward, her hatred of lying mixingwith her sense of impending doom. Maybe they’d think it was passion.
Sylph gaped as Thana grabbed her arm and forced her into astumble toward another tent. “What—”
“Just play along,” Thana whispered. “Good night, all! Good sleeping,and if not…good…other things, too.” Her laugh sounded as merry as two potsgrating together, but she hoped it would be enough.
Chapter Fifteen
Inside the tent, Sylph snatched her arm back. “I beg yourpardon!” Her ire was up, even though part of her was curious about what washappening. “I will not be commanded into your bed like some kind of…” Wordsfailed her, but the look of shock and fear on Thana’s face stilled her anyway.“What’s going on?”
“I think the word you were looking for is prostitute, but Iwouldn’t try to push one of them around if I were you.” She was babbling, thewords running into one another. “My friend Marcus has tossed many a client outon their ear.” She was sweating and shaking, far from a paramour.
“What’s going on?” Sylph repeated, narrowing her eyes.
Thana took a deep breath. “I think the prince and the Order mightbe under the control of a mind pyramid.” She spoke quickly of convenientcousins and false memories, all of it in a quiet rush that Sylph barelyfollowed.
“And what can we do about this?” Sylph asked.
Thana stared at her hopelessly before a nervous laugh escapedher. “I was hoping you’d have an idea. Can you make one of my pyramids into amind pyramid?”
“I wouldn’t know where to start.” She tried to think of a way, butall her experience had been with destructive or utility pyramids. And though adescription had helped her find a cancelation pyramid, creating one seemedquite a different matter.
“Me neither,” Thana said. “I never even heard of it before you,and you’ve only created your stone pyramids.” She nodded. “Maybe that’s thekey. You can use the ground to restrain them until we can get a mind pyramid.”
Sylph frowned. She didn’t want to doubt an area where Thana hadmore expertise, but she had to ask, “Are you certain about this course ofaction? This is the prince.”
“I know.”
“An Umbriel.”
“I know!” She took another breath and bit her lip as if thatwould keep her voice down. “It’s Calla. I can’t believe her, and this situationis too important to be working with someone I don’t know and can’t trust. IfGunnar is not under pyramid control…I have to hope he’ll understand.”
Sylph’s heart went out to her, and she was beyond touched thatThana trusted her, especially after their last conversation. She hoped all her faithshone in her eyes. When Thana smiled gratefully, Sylph knew it was so. Then shelooked away, expression pained as if she was remembering their earlier words.Before she could ask, Thana brought out the stone pyramid.
Fear bloomed in Sylph’s belly, but she took the pyramid anyway.“What would you have me do?”
“I don’t know. Bury them up to their waists?”
Sylph frowned. “That leaves them awfully vulnerable.”
“And you’d have to keep a close watch, or they might digthemselves out.” She hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. “Why am I sobad at planning? Or being a pyradisté? Or everything except stupid pyramidtrivia?”
“You are not—”
“We can run,” Thana said resignedly. “It’s sort of worked so far.Even if some mystery attacker comes, maybe you can cancel all their pyramids sowe don’t get blown to pieces. But if they have a mind pyramid, there might notbe time to spare it, even with your skill.”
“And yours,” Sylph said, daring to clasp her arm. “You are notuseless.” The desire to prove it rose within her. “I’m tired of running. We cando better than burial, and your prince will only have to forgive a minorinconvenience if we’re wrong.” A feeling of calm washed over her, and shewondered if there was a way to bottle this feeling for when she needed itagain.
Undoubtedly not.
She moved toward the tent flap, but Thana caught her arm. “Howcan you want to repress your gift one moment, then use it so readily whenasked?” She ducked her head as if fearful of the answer.
“Because it’s for you.” The words came out so easily, anothergift of calm.
Thana’s face lit up, then quickly dimmed again. Perhaps sherealized that Sylph’s insistence on learning to deny the magic would keep themapart once the danger had passed. A sad thought, but…
Then Thana’s hangdog look evaporated for the most part, and sheclasped Sylph’s hand. “Thank you for believing me.” So much hope and admirationshone in those eyes.
Beautiful eyes. Sylph nodded. If nothing else, she would usemagic to ensure that Thana lived.
They peeked outside. The others were gathered around the fire,whispering. Calla frowned hard, a sign of thwarted plans or an escalation ofher normal expression? There was nothing for it but to trust in Thana.
Sylph closed her eyes and focused on her pyramid. She dropped intoit as quickly as if she’d leaped down a well. The feeling of earth surroundedher, stable and eternal. What was forest had once been many different climes,the ground constantly churning, though the living were too quick to notice.What was soil had been sand,