I sent my magic out searching for the Bane andfound it in the tent I’d chosen for my own. Oreg would face Jade Eyes, then. Relief and regret swept over me in equal parts.

I crept forward slowly, from one shadow to another. The cloud-covered sky clothed the camp in darkness except for the area right around the banked campfire, so finding a shadowed path to my chosen tent was easy.

I pulled out my knife and slit the side of the tent rather than bother trying to find the flap. The blade was sharp and slid through the wet fabric without making a sound.

Inside the tent it was darker than the starlit night. I crouched just inside the slit I’d made and listened for Jakoven’s breathing. But I heard nothing because there was no one there.

Only the Bane lurked in the darkness, invisible. But that didn’t matter—I knew just where it was, even without using my ability tofind things. The power of it filled the tent, calling out to me.

Late in the first summer of rebuilding Hurog, shortly after Oreg had returned, we’d come upon a hidden cache buried under a mound of crumbled stone. I’d reached out to touch a wand of wood covered with faded paint that intrigued me. Oreg’s hand had clamped down on my wrist.

“Never a good idea,” he’d murmured, “to touch a wizard’s toy. Especially when it calls to you. I’ll teach you a few of the nastier things you can ward your own treasures with.”

And that had been the beginning of his lessons to me.

Would Jakoven have left the Bane here unguarded from the rest of his mages? I thought not, and pulled my hand away. I didn’t think Jakoven could activate the thing from a distance. It would be safer here until Oreg or I got a chance to look at it—after I found Jakoven.

So I sheathed my knife, drew my sword, andlooked for Jakoven. If he felt me, it wouldn’t matter; he would know we were there in a matter of moments anyway—as soon as Jakoven’s wizards discovered the dragon in their midst. Oreg could kill one wizard silently, but I doubted that he could keep all of them quiet.

Ifound the high king near the edge of the woods. I cursed to myself as I slid out of the tent and sprinted off through the trees as quickly as I could. Haste was more important than stealth now.

Jakoven was the sentry mage. Axiel must not have recognized him. It wasn’t his fault. The night was dark, and who would have thought that the high king would stand watch with his men? Certainly not me.