'She is alive,' Akkarin said. 'She is...'
Though Akkarin did not finish the sentence, Lorlen's mouth twitched into a crooked smile.
'Good,' he said.
Then his face relaxed and he let out a long sigh. Akkarin hurried forward and dropped into a crouch. He touched Lorlen's forehead and an expression of pain crossed his face. Taking Lorlen's hand, he bowed his head, then removed a ring.
'Lord Osen,' he said.
'Yes?'
'You, Ambassador Dannyl and...' he glanced at Farand, 'his companion must not tell anyone I am here. If the Ichani discover that Sonea and I are here, any chance we have of defeating them will be lost. Do you understand?'
'Yes,' Osen said quietly.
'All but one Ichani are in the Palace. Get out of the city while you still can.'
Akkarin rose and turned away in one abrupt movement.
He moved to the hole in the wall. For a moment, before he strode outside, Dannyl caught a glimpse of his face. Though his expression was hard and set, his eyes glittered brightly in the sunlight.
Several hundred paces from the outskirts of the slums, Rothen left the road. He could see the gaping hole where the Northern Gates had been. Through it, he had seen the wider gap in the Inner Wall.
He didn't need to enter the city that way, however. There was always the gap in the Outer Wall around the Guild grounds.
He wondered, then, why the Ichani had chosen to waste their power on destroying the city gates. They must have learned about the breach in the Outer Wall from the minds of the magicians they had caught and killed at the Fort and in Calia. Perhaps they had wanted to demonstrate their superior strength to the Guild. And maybe they intended to replace the magic they had lost by preying on ordinary Imardians.
Either way, they must feel sure that their strength, or their ability to replace it, would win them Kyralia. As Rothen urged his horse toward the forested hill behind the grounds, he felt a growing dread. Would he arrive too late? Would he find the Guild destroyed and Ichani waiting? He must approach the grounds carefully.
He let the horse slow as she reached the first trees. The forest grew rapidly denser, until he was forced to dismount and lead her. An image flashed before his eyes.
He kept walking as the experience of death overlaid his surroundings. This time it was a Palace guard. When the vision faded to nothing, Rothen sighed with relief.
The slope grew steeper. He stumbled through low vegetation, over logs, rocks and holes. Reaching a bare stretch of ground, he looked up and saw glimpses of white through the trees ahead.
At the sight of the buildings, relief and happiness rushed over him. He hurried forward until he stood at the edge of the forest. Dozens of small houses filled a clearing below. It was like a tiny village.
A deserted village, he amended. Though Rothen had lived only a few hundred paces from this place, he had only seen it once before, as a novice. The collection of houses was known as the Servants' Quarters.
He started walking down to the buildings. As he did, a door opened. A man in a servant uniform hurried forward to meet him.
'My lord,' the man said, sketching a quick bow. 'How goes the battle?'
'I don't know,' Rothen replied. 'I just arrived. Why are you still here?'
The man's shoulders lifted. 'I volunteered to keep an eye on the houses until everyone comes back.'
Rothen glanced up at his horse. 'Anyone from the stables still here?'
'No, but I can take care of your horse for you.'
'Thank you.' Rothen handed the reins to the servant. 'If nobody comes back by the end of the day, leave. Take the horse, if you wish.'
The man looked surprised. He bowed, then patted the horse's nose and led her away. Rothen turned and started along the path to the Guild.
Three hours had passed since Cery had parted with Sonea and Akkarin. He'd received reports that she had gone to the slums to deal with the lone Ichani. Akkarin had disappeared in the Inner Circle, and Takan could not say what his master was doing.
A smuggler's den under the Inner Circle had been selected as a meeting place. It was a large room, filled to the roof with goods. As three figures began to walk down the aisle between the shelving, Cery smiled and walked forward to meet them.
'Your Guild killed one of the Ichani,' he said. 'One dead, seven to go.'
'No.' Sonea smiled. 'Two dead, six to go.'
He glanced at Faren. 'The one in the slums?'
'Yes, though none of my doing.'
He grinned and felt a glow of pleasure. 'One of my traps worked, then?'
'I think you should have a look at what's left of the slums before you go boasting about it,' Faren replied dryly. His second nodded in agreement.
'What happened?' Cery asked, looking at Sonea.
'Faren can explain later.' She looked over his shoulder, and he turned to find Takan approaching. 'Do either of you know where Akkarin is?' she asked.
The servant shook his head. 'I have received no word from him for two hours.'
Sonea frowned. Finding the same expression on Takan's face, Cery guessed that, whatever Akkarin was doing, he wanted it to remain private. What was so important that Akkarin would hide it from his two closest companions?
'Where are the other Ichani?' Faren asked.
'Five in the Palace, one roaming around,' Cery told them.
'Let me guess,' Sonea said, 'the wanderer is the woman.'
'Yes.'
She sighed. 'I suppose I should wait here until Akkarin comes back.'
Cery smiled. 'I've got someone hidden down here I want you to meet.'
'Oh, and who might that be?'
'A magician. I saved him from the Ichani woman. He's very grateful. In fact, he's so grateful he's volunteered to be the bait for the next little trap we've set up.'
Cery led her around a stack of boxes to a small space filled with chairs. The novice was sitting in one of them. He looked up as they appeared, then rose and smiled.
'Greetings, Sonea.'
Sonea stared at him in dismay. As he'd expected, she replied with gritted teeth.
'Regin.'
'Sit down, Sonea,' Cery urged. 'You two stay here, while I fetch something to eat.'
Sonea stared at Cery. No doubt he had no inkling of the history between her and Regin. Then he winked at her and she realized he
'Go on,' he said. 'I'm sure you have plenty of catching up to do.'
Sonea sat down reluctantly. She looked at Faren, but the Thief had moved across the room and was having a murmured conversation with his second. Takan was pacing in another corner. Regin glanced at her, looked away, rubbed his palms together, then cleared his throat.
'So,' he said, 'you kill any of these Sachakans yet?'
