free for other things, but they can’t escape the fire.”
“What happened to them?” asked Ashok.
“They all fell out of the sky,” Ilvani said. She cupped her hands then spread her fingers and let something imaginary fall between the cracks.
“I see,” Ashok said. “Thank you for telling me.”
They didn’t speak for a long time, and Ashok thought she was restless for him to leave. He moved to the ladder and climbed down while she stared out the window. He thought he would be out the door before she noticed him again, but her voice carried after him.
“You’ll see the Veil soon,” she said.
He lingered in the doorway, but her face was hard to see with the light from the window behind it. “Will I?” he said.
“There are more doorways than towers,” she said. “Maybe some escaped. Maybe not all burned. But the Veil … I’ll come with you, when you go.” She turned away from him and lay down on her side facing the window.
Ashok left her to watch the city.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
That night Ashok slept in the burned-out building where he’d first drawn his maps of the city. He hadn’t intended to, but as he’d stood outside the door of the room he’d shared with Chanoch, he realized he didn’t want to go in and see it vacant.
He slept little and woke often from strange dreams he couldn’t quite remember. Finally, he got up and walked the torn pathways around the trade district, avoiding people wherever possible.
Ashok knew he should be preparing to leave the city. Chanoch was gone, and he’d fulfilled his promise to Natan. There was no longer anything keeping him in Ikemmu. Yet he couldn’t make himself leave. He craved solitude, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of walking the Shadowfell plain alone.
Truly, father would laugh to see how pathetic I’ve become, Ashok thought. Weak and indecisive.
After three days of little rest and listless wandering around the city, Ashok returned to the training yard and saw Cree and Skagi talking to Jamet. When they saw him, they immediately excused themselves and came quickly over.
“Where have you been?” Skagi demanded. “Uwan’s had us looking everywhere for you. He almost gave up on the mission.”
“What mission?” Ashok said.
“The four of us-Vedoran’s meeting us later today-are to escort Tatigan through the Underdark,” Skagi explained.
“Tatigan?” Ashok said. He hadn’t seen the merchant since they’d spoken in Darnae’s shop.
“That’s not all,” Cree said. “You’re going to lead us.”
“Me?” Ashok said. “What about Vedoran?”
Skagi shook his head. “Uwan says it’s going to be you this time,” he said. “Fitting punishment, I say, for what that Blite bastard did to Chanoch. What do you think, eh?”
Ashok didn’t know what to say. He’d come to see Skagi and Cree ostensibly to say goodbye, yet in the next breath he found himself asking, “When do we leave?”
“Last bell,” Cree said. “Vedoran said if we found you he’d get Tatigan and meet us and Ilvani at the Veil.”
“Ilvani?” Ashok said, shocked. “What does she have to do with this?”
Cree glanced at his brother. They both looked uneasy. “We were as surprised as you,” Cree said. “But Uwan thinks-see, Ilvani used to go on raids, and scouting missions of course. But ever since we got back …”
“Uwan thinks she needs to get back to her old duties, that it’ll do her good,” Skagi said.
Ashok shook his head. “He’s wrong.” he said. Again. Wrong about so much.
Cree shrugged. “It’s not for us to decide,” he said. “She’s meeting us, and we’re to escort Tatigan.”
Something Cree had said suddenly registered in Ashok’s brain, and he said, “What’s the Veil?”
Skagi chuckled. “I’ve been waiting to show it to you,” he said. “It’s our way to the other side.” He motioned to Cree and started walking. “Come on. We’ll get some provisions together.” His lip curled into a mischievous smile. “Then you’ll see it with your own eyes.”
It took longer than they expected to gather the necessary gear and provisions, even though Skagi assured Ashok that the journey through the Underdark and back would take only a day.
The brothers guided him north of the trade district to a well-worn, deserted road that led straight to the canyon wall. Ashok remembered the road, but he’d ignored it when he had made his maps of the city, thinking it was a dead end. They passed beneath the Spans, and Ashok heard the waterfall in the distance behind Makthar.
The shadows on the deserted road were deeper, and as Ashok’s vision adjusted to the lower light conditions, he saw a raised stone arch set into the canyon wall ahead of them. Four guards stood at either leg of the arch, and the keystone bore the carved sword of Tempus, its blade pointed down toward the ground. It was exactly like the portal arch outside the city gate. Ilvani stood beneath the sword, her back to them. She was staring at the wall. None of the guards paid her any attention.
“Well met, Grecen,” Cree called out to one of the guards. “Any sign of our merchant friend?”
The guard shook his head. “Not yet,” he replied.
“Vedoran’s missing too,” Ashok said. He went up to Ilvani. “Are you all right?” he asked.
She turned to him and bowed her head in greeting. “I told you I would be here,” she said.
“How did you know?” Ashok asked.
She tapped her temple with a fingernail. “Too many questions. Not enough space for them all,” she said.
“Fair enough,” Ashok said. “But are you certain you’re up to this?”
Weariness crossed her face. “Uwan,” she said simply.
“Uwan,” Ashok said, understanding. “He’s always taking things before they’re ready.”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Well met, Tatigan,” Skagi called out, and Ashok turned to see the merchant coming toward them.
He had his green spectacles on and a large sack on a strap over his shoulder. “I’ve a lot of coin this time, Skagi,” Tatigan said. “You’ll have to walk extra slowly.”
Skagi snorted. “Prepare to be left behind, old man,” he said.
“And who’s this going to accompany us?” Tatigan asked, peering over his spectacles at Ashok. “Tempus’s emissary, is it?” He winked at Ashok.
“We’re waiting for one more,” Ashok said. “Then we should be ready to leave. Not”-he looked at Skagi-“that I fully understand where we’re going.”
Skagi grinned. “Be patient,” he said.
Cree and Skagi went over to converse with the guards, and Ilvani drifted back to the arch. Ashok stood with Tatigan. Neither spoke for a time.
“I saw Darnae early this morning,” Tatigan said. “She asked after you, said she hadn’t seen you in days. Where have you been keeping yourself?”
“As far away as possible,” Ashok said. “I’m not good company these days.”
“She’s afraid you’re going to leave,” Tatigan said.
Ashok sighed. “She’s perceptive,” he said. “I won’t go anywhere without giving her word.”
“That’s good to know,” replied the merchant.
“There’s Vedoran,” Skagi said grimly, pointing up the road.
Ashok turned to look and saw Vedoran coming quickly toward them. His normally graceful stride was
