Zandrue peered round the corner. The way remained clear, so she ducked back again. “No one coming. We’re still good.”

She looked over at Hedromornasta, who was staring at the ceiling. His breathing was calmer than it had been, but he still looked tense.

A few moments ago, he had started...panicking? It was hard to say exactly what he’d started doing, but panic definitely seemed to be the cause. He had actually whined, and had pulled her and Ezmelda back into an empty servants’ cubby. Considering he had previously avoided any physical contact with either of them, his sudden change had panicked Ezmelda a little as well.

Then he started muttering in Isyarian. Zandrue picked out the word diare, but otherwise couldn’t follow anything he was saying. After a couple moments, his frantic muttering calmed down and he switched to meditation as he was doing now.

“I still think he thinks we’ve been discovered,” Ezmelda said. “Something pierced his spells.”

Zandrue glanced round the corner again. Still clear. “But if that were the case, I’d expect guards to arrive, but they haven’t.”

“They don’t have a lot of guards at the moment. It might be taking time.”

Zandrue shrugged. “It also means we’re dealing with someone powerful enough to pierce an Isyar’s defences. I don’t like that.”

“A young Isyar.”

Zandrue frowned. “I still don’t like it. I’m willing to bet this young Isyar could still best most human wizards. Mikranasta, at least, must think so as she was willing to send him with us. You, yourself, commented on his subtlety.”

“Unfortunately, you’re probably right. We really should—”

Zandrue, can you hear me?

“—get moving. If we stay here, we… Are you all right? You look…”

Zandrue held up a hand. “Felitïa?”

“What about her?” Ezmelda said.

Zandrue shook her head and waved her hand. “No, no, I think…”

Zandrue, can you hear me?

“Think what?”

Zandrue waved at Ezmelda to shut up again, then turned away from her. “Felitïa? Yes, I can hear you. Can you hear me?”

Oh thank the gods.

“Where are you?”

Zandrue, you need to focus. You’re coming through very distorted.

“How do I do that?”

What?

Damn it, what should she do?

She turned back to Ezmelda. “Felitïa’s trying to contact me telepathically. Apparently, I’m not focused enough and she can’t hear me properly. What do I do?”

Ezmelda’s eyes widened and she frowned. “If I had to guess, concentrate.”

Zandrue?

Zandrue took a deep breath. As much as she loved Felitïa, she had always worried about Felitïa being in her head. That had mainly been to hide her Volganth identity, but old habits could die hard. Another person in her head seemed like a violation of privacy. But Felitïa had always said what she detected was what people sent out. She didn’t actually go into people’s heads. This was definitely different though. She had never done anything like this before.

I got maybe a quarter of that, Zandrue. You have to focus.

But she hadn’t said anything! She had just… Oh fuck!

Well, I heard that, at least. Same old Zandrue. Somehow, there was a smile with that statement.

“You’re hearing everything in my head, aren’t you?”

Focus!

Zandrue sighed and took another deep breath. She focused on the specific words she wanted to say. “I said, you’re hearing everything in my head, aren’t you?”

Well, like I said, only bits and pieces. But that’s better.

“Your powers have obviously increased since we last saw each other.”

Not exactly. This is new to me. I’ve never done it before, and it’s a stopgap I’m using to achieve it. Anyway, there isn’t much time. I need your help.

“We’re on our way to you right now. Where are you?”

Close. In Lady Belone’s bedchamber. I’m asleep and can’t wake up. I need you to wake me, but please hurry. My mind’s under assault. I don’t know—

Felitïa screamed.

Zandrue instinctively put her hands to her ears, but of course, that made no difference.

Ezmelda grabbed her arms to stabilise her as she stumbled. “Are you all right?”

Zandrue clutched Ezmelda’s arms, and nodded. “Felitïa’s under attack. We have to move quickly.” She reached for Hedromornasta and touched his shoulder.

The Isyar recoiled and glared at her.

“We need to go.” She gestured in the direction she hoped was the right way to go.

Hedromornasta shook his head, and hissed a couple words in Isyarian.

Zandrue sighed. They didn’t have time for this. “Felitïa.” She clutched her head, shook it back and forth, and mimed screaming. Then, without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away from their hiding place.

The time for stealth was gone.

There was a pair of doors just ahead with the waterfowl symbol of House Belone on them. They were the most obvious place to check. Felitïa had said she was close, and this was the closest option. It was also the direction the crystal had directed them in. Zandrue reached out to bang on the doors…

...and hit air.

The doors were now down a long corridor, at least twenty or thirty feet away.

What the hell?

“Look out!” Ezmelda yelled.

Spikes of metal flew over her shoulder and lodged in the wall beside her.

Zandrue spun round.

Ezmelda was standing with one arm outstretched, her eyes wide. Her mouth was open as if to speak, but she made no further sound or movement.

Behind her, Hedromornasta stood still as well, but his eyes were narrowed in concentration. He gave just the slightest of nods to Zandrue.

She returned the nod and turned back around.

The doors were back where they should be. She banged on them.

She banged on them several times.

Ezmelda came up beside her. “I’m sorry. I thought I saw…”

“It’s fine.” Zandrue kept banging on the doors.

“Then I couldn’t move. But then I could again.”

“I think Hedromornasta’s to thank for that. He got rid of an illusion on me as well.” She kicked at the doors. Didn’t Lady Belone have servants to answer her door? Maybe this was the wrong place?

Zandrue glanced behind her. Hedromornasta still stood in the same place, his eyes scrunched and his face contorted as if in pain.

She banged on the door one more time, then looked to Ezmelda. “Can you break these down?”

Ezmelda frowned, but nodded. “Yes, but I can’t be sure it won’t hit someone on the other side.”

“We have to take that risk. I don’t think Hedromornasta can hold out much longer.”

“He’s an Isyar! Do you know how powerful our enemy would have to be, even if he is young?”

“Maybe our enemy is an Isyar. Break the doors down. Now!”

Ezmelda gave a quick nod. “Stand back.”

They both moved back beside Hedromornasta. Ezmelda hooked her thumbs together and thrust her hands forward. A massive boulder flew from them. The doors splintered as the boulder hit and blew inwards out of their frame.

Zandrue ran into the entry chamber of the apartments.

A single, stunned handmaid stood beside the wreckage of a table and a pile of broken glass. She stared at Zandrue.

“Lady Belone’s bedchamber,” Zandrue said. “Which door is it?”

The handmaid gaped.

“Please, answer,” Ezmelda said.

“Guards!” the handmaid screamed.

Damn, they would just have try all of them.

Zandrue approached the nearest door, but another one near where the boulder lay opened. A short Folith woman with greying brown hair looked out. “What is going on here?”

With a friendly smile, Zandrue strode in the woman’s direction. “Lady Belone? I don’t have a lot of time to explain. I’m a friend of Felitïa’s. I know she’s here. Her mind is under attack and we have to wake her up.” She had to hop round the edge of the boulder. Then she pointed over the woman’s shoulder. “Is Felitïa in there?”

The woman trembled slightly, but nodded. “You could have knocked.”

“I did, but I suspect you were made to not hear it.” Zandrue strode past the woman.

Felitïa lay on her side in the bed in the small room. Her face was twitching slightly, but she otherwise appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

Zandrue hurried over, grabbing a chair as she went. She placed the chair down so she could sit by Felitïa’s face, which continued to twitch. Zandrue leaned forward, breathing in Felitïa’s scent. She didn’t get to experience that enough these days. They had spent so much time apart of late.

But this wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

“I gave her a sleeping draught.” Lady Belone stood in the doorway. “She’s been having trouble sleeping and the draughts have helped. You might have trouble waking her.”

That wasn’t surprising. Felitïa had said she couldn’t wake up, yet she was obviously lucid despite being asleep. A gentle nudge would probably not be enough to wake her. Still, it was a place to start.

Zandrue nudged Felitïa’s shoulder, then slightly more vigorously. “Felitïa? Felitïa, can you hear me?” She gave Felitïa a harder shove.

Unsurprisingly, Felitïa did not respond.

“Do you have any smelling salts?” Zandrue asked.

“Not in here, but there might be some in my husband’s chambers. His apothecaries left a lot of things there.”

“Please, go check.”

Lady Belone nodded. “If there aren’t, I can send one of my handmaids to collect some. There will definitely be some in the palace somewhere.”

Zandrue shook her head. “I doubt there will be time for that. Besides, I doubt your handmaid would get very far. Just check your husband’s chambers.”

“As you wish.”

Zandrue bent over Felitïa again, and gave her another shake. Then she tried blowing in Felitïa’s ear. Neither worked.

Lady Belone had not moved.

“Please, hurry up, your Ladyship. We’re running out of time.”

“I...I’m sorry. I...I can’t move. I can barely speak.”

Zandrue looked over at her. Lady Belone was shivering, her hands clenched beside her.

Damn!

“Ezmelda!”

There was no response.

“Ezmelda!”

Still nothing.

“Hedromornasta!”

Yeah, like he’d respond.

“Shit!”

Why wasn’t she being affected?

Either Hedromornasta was protecting her, or Felitïa was. It really didn’t matter which.

Zandrue bent over Felitïa once more. The time for gentleness was over. It was time for something drastic. She pinched Felitïa’s nose with one hand and clamped the other over Felitïa’s mouth. “Come on, Felitïa, you have to wake up.”

Felitïa’s body convulsed. Her head and shoulders twisted, trying to pull away. Zandrue’s hand on Felitïa’s mouth slipped, but she placed it back again, grabbing Felitïa’s chin as she did. Still, Felitïa’s eyes remained closed.

“Damn it, Felitïa, wake up!”

Felitïa’s whole body was convulsing now, but Zandrue held firm. Gods, she hoped this didn’t do any serious damage.

At last, Felitïa’s eyes shot open, darting about in panic. Zandrue let go, and Felitïa scrambled about, pulling her knees up to her chest, and gasping for air. Her eyes continued to dart about, and it took a few moments for them to settle on Zandrue. “Zandrue? Oh gods, is it really you?”

“I should hope so.”

Lunging forward, Felitïa threw her arms around Zandrue. “Oh gods, oh gods, Zandrue.”

Zandrue held her tight.

After a moment, Felitïa’s shaking began to calm, and she let go of Zandrue, backing away just a little. “You’ll have to tell me later how you’re here, but for now, we have work to do. My mind is under attack, and I’m barely holding it off. I’m surprised I’m holding it off at all, but I seem to have help. There’s someone—”

“That’s probably Hedromornasta,” Zandrue said.

Felitïa swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “An Isyar? From Jorvan?”

“He’s the son of Mikranasta, the Isyar Jorvan brought back to help you. He helped us get in here. I’m not exactly sure where he is at the moment.”

“He’s near.” Felitïa stood up. “Come on, we have to…” Her gaze fell on Lady Belone. “Siba?”

Lady Belone’s mouth trembled and emitted a slight moan.

“We’re being attacked as well,” Zandrue said. “And it looks like it’s getting worse. She can’t move and I don’t think Ezmelda can either. I seem to be the only one who can. Oh yeah, Ezmelda here’s too.”

“I know,” Felitïa said.

Zandrue chuckled. “Of course you do.”

Felitïa walked up to Lady Belone and touched her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Siba.”

Zandrue walked over to them. “Can you help her?”

Felitïa grimaced. “I don’t know. I doubt it, but I shouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

Felitïa sighed. “I don’t know if you know anything about the condition I’m in, but I’m tired, Zandrue. I’m so exhausted. I haven’t been able to sleep, and…” She leaned against Zandrue for a moment before straightening up. “Sorry. What I’m trying to say is, I’m also so weak. I don’t have the power to face whoever’s attacking us. I can’t spare what power I do have, and besides, the enemy has to spread their power out to keep people like Siba and Ezmelda from helping me.” She touched Siba’s shoulder. “I won’t let her keep you like this for long.”

“Her? Do you know who’s doing this?”

Felitïa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “A slip of the tongue because I have a suspicion. If I’m right, then I’ve been a total fool, Zandrue. I fell right into her trap.”

“I was thinking an Isyar,” Zandrue said.

Felitïa nodded. “So am I. We have to find her. If I’m wrong, we need her help, and if I’m not…” She gave Lady Belone another gentle pat on the shoulder, then squeezed past her through the doorway.

A tear was forming in Lady Belone’s eye.

Zandrue smiled at her. “We’ll fix this.” With that, Zandrue slipped past her and followed Felitïa.

* * * * *

Akna tapped her feet against the legs of the chair. This library was not what she had come to think of as a library. Not that she’d had much experience with them. There were libraries in some Ninifin temples—at least, she was pretty sure there were—but she had never actually been in one. However, she’d been in the one on Scovese and the one in the Hall of Knowledge. The latter was nowhere near the size of the one on Scovese, but the basic aesthetic was the same: a bunch of shelves stuffed with books.

The Belone library, on the other hand, was just a few books—maybe a dozen?—on a single shelf over the fireplace. The rest of the room contained plush chairs and couches, as well as a long table with stiff-backed chairs. A spot to read those books, she supposed, but still not a library. But then, the names of rooms in the palace showed only a token acknowledgement to any logic. Felitïa had said it was the same in the Royal Palace in Arnor City. It was Foliths being Foliths.

Akna tapped her feet a few more times and buried her head in her hands.

She was getting nowhere. She was bored, and tired. So tired.

Chica had left her here. When they’d arrived in the palace, they had come directly here. Chica had told her to sit down and wait. Then she had stood in one place for ages—not saying a word, not responding to anything from Akna—before finally walking out of the room.

Akna tried to follow her, but discovered she couldn’t stand up. She still couldn’t. She could move her arms and legs, turn her head, and do just about anything that didn’t require standing up first. She’d tried moving the chair back and just sliding across the room with it, but had discovered she couldn’t move the chair more than an inch or so. So, she’d just ended up sitting here tapping her legs. She wasn’t sure how long it had been. Hours? It felt like it.

No one had come in during that time either. From her own time in the palace, this room had not seemed the most heavily used, but people had used it to pass through. She had passed through it many times herself. She would have expected a servant or two to go through by now.

But the whole palace seemed strangely empty. When she and Chica had arrived, they walked across the grounds and through the palace itself barely seeing anyone. A lot of guards were attacking the Hall of Knowledge, so it made sense there weren’t many left here. But what about the servants?

And where had Chica gone?

She still didn’t know who Chica really was, and it was obvious Chica knew Akna was not going to start believing, so why keep up the deception?

The sound of raised voices came from the nearest door. A moment later, they swung violently open and Danel Belone stormed into the room, followed by a courtier Akna only vaguely recognised, and behind them, Anita.

Anita!

“...don’t return here by morning, then they will be hunted down and executed! I want this spread throughout—”

All three of them stopped and stared at Akna.

Anita’s mouth trembled.

Akna smiled at her. “Hi, Anita.” It had been so long since she’d last seen her. She wanted to do so much more than smile, but…

Anita slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle a cry, then ran to Akna. “They said you were dead!”

Danel rounded on the courtier. “What is that savage doing here? She’s supposed to be dead!”

The courtier recoiled and raised his hands and arms, and shrugged.

Anita bent down beside Akna and threw her arms around her, wailing.

“I’m sorry I can’t get up,” Akna said. “I seem to be stuck.”

“Good! It’ll make you an easier target. Guards! Guards!” Danel rounded on the courtier again. “Where are my guards? Find them! I want her dead!”

The courtier nodded and ran from the room.

Danel stormed towards Akna, one hand raised.

Anita moved between him and Akna. “Don’t you dare touch her!”

Danel hesitated a moment, but then slapped Anita, who stumbled back with a cry.

Akna rattled about in her chair. She reached for either Anita or Danel, but they were both too far away. “Bastard! Do that again and I will fucking kill you.”

Danel pushed Anita aside and strode closer to Akna, but still staying out of her reach. “Oh? But you say you can’t move.” He looked her over. “I don’t see any rope. What’s holding you? Glue?”

“Magic, you dumb fuck.”

He laughed and rolled his eyes. “Of course it is. Chemicals can produce the most incredible things, you know? Lord Plavin has been telling me all about it.”

Anita jumped at him and clawed at his face, he elbowed her in the stomach and she fell back again, gasping.

Danel rubbed at his face where Anita’s nails had scratched him. “I put up with a lot from you, Anita, because you are my sister and I love you. But continue in this way, and I won’t hesitate to execute you along with your unnatural lover.”

Akna resisted the urge to try to leap at him again. It wouldn’t work, and she would just waste energy. She needed to keep control, and be ready to kill him the moment she could move.

“Guards!” Danel paced a bit, then stomped back to the doors. “Guards! Where are they? Where is anyone? Fine, I’ll do it myself.” He stomped over to the fireplace and grabbed a poker. Then he turned towards Akna.

Anita moved in the way again.

“Move aside, Anita.”

Anita shook her head.

“I will do it.”

“Then do it.”

Danel scowled and stood there for a few moments. “Fine.” He started forward.

“No! You will not harm her!”

The new voice came from the doors at the other side of the room. They were open now and Chica was standing in them.

Danel stopped and stared at Chica. “What did you say?”

“I said, you will not harm her. I need her.”

“How dare you? I am Lord here. I tolerate your presence because Lord Plavin suggested I do so, but do not presume to tell me what to do. Why my father put up with you for so long, I’ll never know.”

Chica tilted her head slightly. “You will not harm the Unifier. I will not repeat myself again.”

“Traitor! I’ll come for you when I’m done with her.” But Danel didn’t move. There was strain on his face and he was trembling.

Akna smiled. She wasn’t fond of the person pretending to be Chica, but Danel deserved this.

“What is happening?” Danel croaked.

“I told you already,” Akna said. “It’s called magic, you dumb fuck. Mentalism magic.”

Anita turned around and came back over to Akna. She laughed. “You’re such an idiot, Danel.”

“When my guards get here…”

“They’ll do nothing, because they’re not coming.” Akna nodded towards Chica. “She’s made sure of that.”

“I’ll see all three of you dead.”

Akna let out an exaggerated sigh, then looked to Anita. “You’re okay now with me killing him as soon as I’m able, right?”

Anita smiled sadly, leaned over, and kissed Akna.

Chica strode over to them, making a rising motion with her hand. “Up.”

Akna tried to resist as her body pushed the chair back and stood up, but her body didn’t obey.

Chica placed a hand on Akna’s cheek and caressed it. “We have work to do, my love.”

Anita clutched Akna’s arm. “I don’t understand. What’s she talking about?”

Akna patted Anita’s arm. “An act. You probably don’t even see it. She’s trying to drive me mad.” She turned her attention to Chica. “But you know I don’t believe. In fact, I know who you are now. Why keep up the act?”

Chica smiled. “It’s fun. Still, you’re probably right. It’s excess energy. Not much, but I could use all the energy I can get right now.” The image of Chica faded away, replaced by the winged form of Plavistalorik. Her face was raised, and she stared at Akna with pale grey eyes.

“Felitïa said you weren’t a mentalist,” Akna said, “but I guess she was wrong.”

“The Will-Breaker is a fool and undeserving of her title. Such is the folly of prophecy. But enough talk. We have important work to do.” The Isyar’s eyes turned towards Anita. “You will remain here with your sibling.” She turned and walked towards the doors.

Once again, Akna’s body moved without her consent, and followed Plavistalorik.

“Akna, I can’t move!” Anita called.

Akna found she couldn’t even look back. “I’ll come back for you! I promise!” Her hands grabbed the door handles and pulled them shut.

* * * * *

Felitïa’s head was a war zone. She couldn’t think of any other way to describe it. Her mystery enemy was assaulting every part of it. She had to keep reforming the Room, had to keep trapping her enemy in a sphere of the walls, which the enemy then broke out of again. And on and on it went.

Yet somehow, she was managing to walk through the Belone palace and communicate with Zandrue, while only occasionally stumbling or groaning in pain. Zandrue always moved to support her with every misstep, but she regained her balance fairly quickly.

The palace was practically empty. There was an occasional servant and an even less occasional guard, but those few ignored her and Zandrue. She wasn’t trying to keep them hidden—she wanted her enemy to find her—though maybe Hedromornasta was. A quick check of the magical energies around her confirmed Hedromornasta was trying to hide her and Zandrue, but his attempts were constantly being foiled. The palace staff ignoring them was probably due to something her enemy was doing.

Good. The more energy her enemy was wasting on keeping the palace staff at bay, the better. Felitïa’s only hope was that her enemy was already substantially weakened.

“We’re just going in circles, aren’t we?” Zandrue said.

Felitïa hesitated in answering, though they were. While the enemy might have been keeping the staff at bay, it wasn’t making it any easier to find the enemy herself. She was keeping herself well hidden. They had been through several locations two or three times already.

There was a tap on Felitïa’s shoulder. It was Hedromornasta, and she stopped moving while he started making a circular motion with his forefinger. He continued to mime the circle several times.

“Yes, I know. We’re going in circles. Zandrue just mentioned it too. Our enemy is probably moving around.”

Hedromornasta groaned, and made another circle with his finger. Then he pointed.

Felitïa stared at him and gave a small shrug.

He did it again: made a circle and then pointed.

Felitïa raised her hands and arms in a wide shrug.

“No, I get it,” Zandrue said. “He’s making a circle, and then pointing to the centre. We’re going in circles, but not going to the centre.”

Felitïa shook her head. “What? Nonsense. We’re…” She stopped. Gods, what a fool she’d been! A quick search through her head located the magical strand blocking her from thinking of the audience chamber room in the centre of the main floor of the palace. A quick yank and it was gone. “The audience chamber! She’s there!”

What a fool she’d been. Her enemy had been using the overt attacks on her head as a distraction from more subtle attacks. Just as Felitïa was hoping her enemy would tire, her enemy was trying to tire her as well.

And given she’d spent months tiring Felitïa, she was doing a much better job of it.

Her head clear now—or clearer, at any rate—she made straight for the audience chamber. Getting there was no problem, though two guards stood in front of the doors. These ones drew their swords and moved to block the way.

Zandrue drew her sword, and Felitïa was about to put them to sleep when they both collapsed to their knees, gasping and dropping their swords. They clutched at their throats as if unable to breathe.

With a glance at Hedromornasta, Felitïa walked past the guards. She opened the doors and stepped through.

The chandeliers that normally lit the chamber were mostly unlit now. Only a few of the candles had flickering flames. The little light they provided reflected off the crystal of the chandeliers, causing shadows to dance about the dim room.

A single figure sat at the far end, at the bottom of the steps by the throne. It was Nin-Akna. Her head was lowered and she was dressed oddly, but there was enough light to notice the tattoos on her forehead. What was she doing here? And where was her enemy?

Nin-Akna didn’t look up. “Felitïa! It’s Plavistalorik! She’s doing this.”

As Felitïa had started to suspect. Whoever it was had to be incredibly powerful, which pointed towards an Isyar. That was hardly conclusive, but whoever it was also couldn’t be invisible to literally everyone. Plavistalorik had been in plain sight, but Felitïa hadn’t considered her because she’d successfully convinced Felitïa that she wasn’t a mentalist.

Felitïa walked slowly along the carpet towards Nin-Akna, paying close attention to the flickering shadows. “Where is she?”

“Near,” Nin-Akna said. “I think. Felitïa, you said she wasn’t a mentalist.”

“That’s what I thought. She brought down one of the gargoyles at the Hall of Knowledge. A mentalist couldn’t do that. Or so I thought.”

“Then how?”

“She didn’t. She made them think she did. She made them do it themselves and then altered their memories. At least, that’s my guess.” She spun in a circle, trying to take in all of the room, all of the places Plavistalorik could be hidden. “Am I right?” There was no sign of anyone.

“I don’t think she’s going to answer,” Nin-Akna said.

“No shit.” Felitïa continued towards Nin-Akna. “Why are you just sitting there?”

“Can’t move.”

That made sense. Like Siba and Ezmelda. Felitïa stopped and spun around again.

No sign of anyone. No Zandrue, no Hedromornasta.

The main doors slammed shut, removing the light that came from outside the chamber.

“Are you all right?” Nin-Akna asked.

Felitïa tuned back towards her. “Do you really need to ask that?”

“I suppose not.”

“I seem to have lost Zandrue.”

“Must be Plavistalorik.”

Felitïa nodded and stopped moving. She was just a few feet from Nin-Akna now. The shadows danced over her still-lowered head.

“Can you do anything to let me move? I can talk, but that’s it. I can’t even raise my head to look at you.”

“Yet you knew it was me.”

“Plavistalorik said you’d be here soon. I figured it had to be you. If I was wrong, I’m sure whoever it was would have corrected me.”

“Hmm.” Felitïa bent down just slightly to try to look Nin-Akna in the eyes. “Plavistalorik likes to keep her head lowered.”

“Maybe that’s why she left me this way.”

Felitïa knelt down so her face was level with Nin-Akna’s. “Could be. Have you seen Anita, by the way? Last I heard, she believed you were dead.”

“Yeah, I saw her just a little while ago. She was in the library. Plavistalorik made it so she couldn’t move either.”

“How about Rudiger?”

“He’s here?”

“Of course he is. You don’t think he’d let Zandrue come alone, do you? But they got separated trying to find me. Zandrue’s worried sick.”

“No, I...I haven’t seen him.”

“How about Quilla?”

“Quilla? What?”

Nin-Akna’s face was even more shrouded in shadow, but Felitïa focused on what she could see of her tattoos. “Meleng? Jorvan? Agernon? Corvinian?”

“Felitïa, what are you going on about? Can’t you just help me?”

“Ezmelda? Hedromornasta? Pedrin? Almais? Danel? Siba? Cerus? Sinitïa?” She began naming everyone she could think of as fast as she could.

“Now you’re just being ridiculous, Felitïa. I think you really have gone crazy from lack of sleep.”

The trick was to cause a break in concentration, even if only momentary.

“Nin-Chicahua? Nin-Xoco? Ses-Tlacotl? Did you tell Anita we slept together?”

That did it.

One of the stylistic jaguar spots moved. Just a tiny bit. But it was all she needed.

Felitïa stood up, and Nin-Akna looked up with a scowl.

* * * * *

In the Room in her head, Felitïa ran. Out into the depths of her mind, past purple and the clap of thunder. Through the scent of lilacs and Zandrue’s laugh.

Behind her, Plavistalorik’s presence followed, tentacles sweeping out and wrapping around her. Felitïa slipped out of the first few, but the next ones pulled her down among yellow and the softness of Lon’s and Nesh’s fur.

She kicked at the tentacles, furiously tried to push them aside, but more came down upon her. She brought down the black walls and tried to wrap them around Plavistalorik, but several pieces fell away before they could form a complete sphere. The tentacles wrapped tighter around Felitïa. They squeezed and squeezed and…

Plavistalorik’s presence exploded and was gone.

Felitïa looked at the yellow and touched the softness. There was no sign of Plavistalorik. Where had she gone?

* * * * *

With a scream, Nin-Akna fell backwards, the disguise fading away, revealing Plavistalorik lying on her back. Her arms, legs, and wings twitched, and her mouth trembled.

Behind her, nearer the throne, Nin-Akna—presumably the real one?—rose shakily to her feet from where she had previously been hidden.

What had happened?

No. No time to worry about that now. Plavistalorik was vulnerable.

Felitïa clenched her fists together and stared at Plavistalorik.

Nothing happened.

She concentrated harder and dug her nails into her palms. Still nothing. Plavistalorik’s defences were still too great.

The Isyar pulled herself to her feet and glared back at Felitïa, then vanished.

Damn it!

She needed to focus and find the indications of where Plavistalorik was.

Will-Breaker.

Felitïa sneered. You can’t hide from me for long.

No, you misunderstand, Will-Breaker. I am not Plavistalorik. My name is Mikranasta. My siare, Hedromornasta was with with you until recently. I have come with Jorvanultumn to help you.

Felitïa scanned the audience chamber as well as the Room in her head. Were you responsible for what happened to Plavistalorik?

Yes, though I regret that I am very limited in how often I can do that.

If Plavistalorik was still in the audience chamber, she was doing a very good job of staying hidden. Given how much more skilled she was than Felitïa, that was a distinct possibility. Why don’t you come out where I can see you and we can face her together?

I’m not there. I am using Nin-Akna as a proxy of sorts. If I had come in person, Plavistalorik would have detected me and likely fled. The only way to draw her out was to hide in Nin-Akna’s consciousness. Unfortunately, it also means I am limited in what I can do to help. But I will help as best I can.

She knows you’re here now. Won’t that make her flee?

Except I’m not with you. She knows that and will likely think my presence will not be enough to turn the tide of the battle.

Felitïa walked over to Nin-Akna. But I take it, she’s wrong?

I hope so, but if I’m being honest, I doubt it. You are in bad shape, Will-Breaker. I’m frankly surprised you’ve held out this long already.

Well, that makes two of us.

Nin-Akna was leaning against the throne, breathing heavily.

Felitïa held out her hand. “You all right?”

Nin-Akna took the hand, then hugged Felitïa. “Felitïa, I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move or speak.”

“Not your fault.”

The main doors of the chamber flew open, and Zandrue and Hedromornasta ran into the room. “Felitïa!” Zandrue called. “You all right?”

“For now.” Felitïa squeezed Nin-Akna’s shoulders. “I have to find her. You stay here. This isn’t a fight you can help with.” She walked towards Zandrue.

Be wary, Will-Breaker.

Felitïa smiled at Zandrue and looked her over.

No shadows in the flickering light.

She walked right past Zandrue without any further acknowledgement. Hedromornasta, too. She’s getting careless in her desperation. Or she’s running out of power.

Or she wants you to think that, Mikranasta said. As I said, be wary.

Felitïa nodded, then realised there was no way Mikranasta could have seen that.

I didn’t see it, but I’m aware of it.

Interesting.

* * * * *

In the Room, Mikranasta’s presence was unlike the others. It was bigger and brighter, perhaps because Mikranasta wanted her to see it. It was also a magical projection. Her actual telepathic presence was not here because she was not in Felitïa’s general vicinity in the real world.

Plavistalorik had also been in her head magically. She wasn’t telepathic—that much Felitïa had worked out—and was reliant entirely on mentalism magic. But she was also somewhere in Felitïa’s general vicinity. At least, Felitïa hoped she was still somewhere in the vicinity and hadn’t run. But the illusions of Zandrue and Hedromornasta implied she wasn’t running. That meant her actual presence had to be somewhere in the Room, just hidden by magic.

Felitïa focused, searched for the webs of magic.

There! She was getting better at this.

A presence was hidden behind Nin-Akna’s. It shot at her, and pushed her back into the roughness of rocks and howls of wolves. She pushed back, but it kept sliding her farther from the room.

No, this wasn’t what she she’d been looking for, after all. This was Plavistalorik’s magical presence, and she clearly didn’t want Felitïa finding her real one.

Mikranasta’s presence grabbed hold of Plavistalorik and held her back. It was not the explosive effect of before, but it gave Felitïa a momentary distraction.

She ran back to the Room. She had to find Plavistalorik’s real presence. There was no way she could fight her magically. Plavistalorik was the more powerful wizard. Even at full strength, Felitïa wouldn’t stand a chance. She had to fight her telepathically. But did she even know how to do that?

At the edge of the Room, Plavistalorik and Mikranasta continued to struggle. Mikranasta’s presence was getting smaller and dimmer. Time was running out.

Felitïa swept the Room. She flipped it over, pulled every section up to her and examined it. Then she turned the Room inside out and did it again.

A thin, almost invisible hint of mentalism magic caught her eye. There were lots of those here now, remnants of both Mikranasta’s and Plavistalorik’s magic. But this one was different. It wasn’t floating away and vanishing. It was holding its shape and staying in one place.

Felitïa grabbed it and shredded it.

Plavistalorik’s presence appeared, near Zandrue’s.

Felitïa leapt for it, but something grabbed her. Plavistalorik’s magical presence wrapped around her, blocking out all sight she had of the Room or the rest of her mind. There was nothing—no colours, no smells, no sounds, no feelings. Just blackness squeezing in, cutting her off from her body.

* * * * *

Felitïa fell to the floor, unable to breathe. She wretched and gasped, tried to pull in breath, but her throat wouldn’t open. It was like large, thick hands were around it, squeezing tighter and tighter. She tried to grab at those hands, but there was nothing there.

“Felitïa!”

Nin-Akna ran over and bent over her. “What’s happening? What can I do?”

Felitïa could almost see Agranim on top of her again, strangling her to death. Just like he’d tried on Scovese before she’d killed him.

Except this time, he wasn’t there to kill. There was just the memory of it, and the spell was making that memory actually kill her.

Zandrue stood over them. “We have to find that Isyar. That’s the only way to save Felitïa.” Then she ran out of sight.

Nin-Akna hesitated. “We can’t just leave her.”

Felitïa did her best to speak, but nothing came out.

“We’re not,” Zandrue’s voice came back.

Nin-Akna nodded, stood up, and moved out of sight.

Felitïa lay there, clutching at her neck, instinctively pulling at the non-existent hands, but grasping only at air, her skin, and the prayer bead necklace.

The prayer beads!

Grabbing hold of the necklace, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She couldn’t block out the pain the way she had on Scovese, so she had to hope she could maintain concentration despite the pain. She just had to last long enough for Zandrue and Nin-Akna to find Plavistalorik.

She focused and calmed her movements. Stilled her body. She slid one bead over and tried to inhale slowly. A tiny drop of air made it in. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Her body could still breathe; it was just being fooled into believing it couldn’t. All she had to do was unfool it just a little.

“There!” Zandrue called.

“Where?”

“Where Hedromornasta is pointing!”

Felitïa drew in another snippet of breath.

* * * * *

The blackness continued to squeeze tighter and tighter. There were no sensations. It wasn’t even blackness, really. It was just emptiness.

But then a crack appeared, green and sweetness slipping through.

Felitïa focused, grabbed the edges of the crack, and pulled. It resisted at first, but then opened wider.

* * * * *

Felitïa gasped for breath. This time, the air poured in. She took several grateful breaths, then propped herself up on her elbows.

Across the chamber, Nin-Akna had Plavistalorik pinned against the wall. She punched the Isyar in the face. Near her, Zandrue stood with her sword frozen in mid-swing. Another punch from Nin-Akna, and Zandrue stumbled back. But then so did Nin-Akna, letting go of Plavistalorik.

Nin-Akna looked frantically around, as did Zandrue.

“She’s still there!” Felitïa croaked.

Except she wasn’t. The Isyar was now running towards the door.

Damn it. Felitïa had to stop her somehow.

* * * * *

In her head, Felitïa stepped back into the Room and ran for Plavistalorik’s presence, but it was gone.

The Isyar’s magical presence was rushing towards Felitïa again. Hedromornasta’s magical presence moved to block her way, but there was no sign of Mikranasta.

Finding Plavistalorik’s presence was much easier this time. She really was getting better at this—or Plavistalorik was tiring. Whatever. She grabbed the presence.

Pain shot through her as one of the traps in the grey walls triggered. Then another, and another. Felitïa stumbled, but held on to the presence. The pain was unbelievably intense, but she could withstand it. She had to. If these traps were deadly, Plavistalorik would have used them by now. They were meant as a distraction.

She gritted her teeth—was she doing that in the real world? probably—and yanked at the presence.

Plavistalorik’s magical presence threw Hedromornasta aside and his magical presence winked out. She ran for Felitïa.

Felitïa squashed the Isyar’s real presence down into a tube. Then she pushed herself into it and entered Plavistalorik’s mind.