thoughts of what to do. What to do? Could I trick him into becoming a wolf by daylight? Is there a way to sing him into that shape? What would happen if he did become a wolf under the sun? And how could I get close enough to make it happen?
As soon as it was light enough, I went to Khan Tegus's chamber to share what I knew, but it was filled with chiefs and shamans, and of course Lady Vachir and her vulture maids sitting on their perch.
As I entered, the war chief was saying, 'He's declaring lie won't attack Song for Evela if we give him Lady Saren.'
I stood in the threshold, though I know it's bad luck. I couldn't move, not forward or back. My mama said I'm as brave as the lead gazelle with hunters on her tail, but I wasn't then. Since coming to Song for Evela, too many times I've put my mama to shame.
'Lady Saren?' The khan rubbed his forehead. 'Is Khasar truly insane? He has Lady Saren already, if he hasn't killed her yet.'
'What do you mean Khasar has Lady Saren?' I asked. I just couldn't keep quiet.
Some of the chiefs glared at me for interrupting, but her khan answered.
'Dashti, I didn't see you. Have you heard of the lady in the tower? I knew her.' He glanced at Lady Vachir before continuing. 'I visited her one autumn. When I returned to Titor's Garden in the spring, Khasar was at the tower before me, and two hundred of his men camped with him. I'd only thirty men and couldn't risk attacking.'
He came back! I smiled at him. I wanted him to know how wonderful he was, but he was looking out the window.
'Surely Khasar was there to break her out,' he said, 'take her back to his own realm.'
'But now he's asking for her,' said the town chief.
'Maybe he didn't take her.' Tegus drummed the pane with his fingers. 'But if he didn't, where is she?'
There was silence for a few moments, and my soul rumbled inside of me, rolling around like a ball in a box, shaking my bones.
I'd sworn to protect my lady. I'd said I'd claim her name and title and see if the khan would welcome her. I knew I should speak up now, the Ancestors designed this very moment to allow me to do my duty. But instead, I quaked and stared at my feet. And the moment passed.
'He claims he has one hundred villagers on neck ropes,' said Batu, 'ones too slow to flee before his army's advance. He's shouting that he'll catapult them into our city if we don't turn over the lady. Scouts confirm the hostages.'
'Ancestors,' sighed an old chief, rubbing his back as if the news made him ache.
The khan stared hard at Batu and finally asked, 'And what's the part that you aren't telling me?'
Batu sighed. 'He said he wanted Lady Saren, but he'd accept you, my lord. He goaded, said a true khan would give his own life to protect his people.'
'A true khan...,' said Tegus.
Silence. The fire in the hearth shivered.
'I don't advise believing anything Khasar says, my lord,' said Batu. 'He still believes if he kills you and conquers Song for Evela, he can take the title of khan, and after that I doubt he'd stop until he seizes all the Eight Realms and declares himself Great Khan. Even if we had Lady Saren to release to him, I can't believe he'd give up his war.'
'But those hundred villagers...' Tegus covered his face with a hand, shaking his head. 'And where is she?
Where's Saren all this time?'
'Here.' I couldn't believe I'd spoken it even as I did, and my stomach ached and my blood stopped running in my veins. 'Here,' I said again, just to make sure I really had. I swore an oath to my lady, and I have to believe that if I do the right thing, the Ancestors will take care of the rest.
Everyone was staring at me. At least, I felt like they were, but I was only watching Tegus. I'd grown used to his amused expression when he looked at me. Now the confusion on his face felt as unpleasant as a slap.
'Dashti?' he said. 'What are --'
'I'm Lady Saren.' I was amazed how sure I sounded as I spoke. 'Dashti is my maid's name.'
He took a step forward, stopped. Everyone still stared. I was waiting for laughter, or maybe to be tied up with their sashes like the assassin who'd stabbed Batu. Tegus took another step forward. I would've accused him of dancing if I hadn't been shaking with the fear that he'd frown at me and demand I be strung up on the south wall.
'Khasar didn't take us from the tower,' I explained. 'He just came to mock us. We wouldn't go with him willingly, so he left us to rot. When we ran out of food, we broke our way out. Titor's Garden was razed, so we came here, but I wasn't sure if... you were engaged to Lady Vachir, and I didn't know if...'
My throat burned with the lies. Tegus still just stared.
Lady Vachir stood up from her couch with a not very nice expression. I guess she wasn't feeling much fondness for me. I guess she was imagining me on a spit, slowly turning over a fire. Truth be told, that's pretty much how I felt.
'You broke out?' asked Tegus. He took another step closer.
Why wasn't he calling me a liar? I look nothing like Lady Saren, and surely at a glance anyone can see I'm not gentry.
'It was the rats, my lord,' I said. 'They ate our food, but they also dug a way through the bricks. Funny how
