She grinned suddenly. “Save a race from extinction once, and have to live with it forever. I killed a couple of bandits and passed out—I didn’t expect to wake up in luxury. It’s certainly not what I expected from Hurog.” The grin disappeared as quickly as it had come—it must have hurt the purple bruise that had bloomed on the right side of her face since I’d last seen her.

“One of my people found you,” I said. “We brought you here this morning. I believe there’s some soup and bread around somewhere if you’re hungry.”

Ignoring my offer of food, she looked at her unbandaged left hand, which looked significantly better than the last time I’d seen it, and her face registered astonishment. “Just this morning?”

“Oreg is a good healer,” I said. “You came to the right place—your hand had gone septic. Anyone else would have had it off.”

She was silent for a moment, flexing her fingers slowly. Still watching it, she said, “I’m so sorry to show up here like this, but I couldn’t think of anywhere else I could go.”

“My home is your home,” I said, meaning it.

“He’ll look for me,” she said, “because he thinks I am the key to two things he wants very much.”

“Jakoven?” I asked.

She nodded, and met my eyes. “He thinks I know the names of the nobles who are giving aid to Alizon.”

“Do you?” I asked.

“Not all, but enough to hurt a lot of people who are doing nothing but protecting a man from unlawful, unjustified prosecution—unlawful at least until Jakoven officially declares Alizon a traitor.”

The king’s half brother had disappeared almost a year ago, about the same time the royal armies descended unexpectedly on his estates. Alizon had escaped with little more than the clothes he was wearing—and a large number of allies who were willing to hide him. The king had pressed no charges, saying he preferred to wait until his half brother could defend himself.

Tisala sat up, her face tightened in pain but her chin rose to stifle any hint of sympathy. “I needed a place to hide until I recovered. I’m sorry I’ve put you at risk—but I don’t think he’d ever consider looking for me here.”

“King Jakoven doesn’t like me much anyway, nor I him, for that matter,” I said wryly. “You are welcome here as long as you like, and know that you are not hurting my standing with the high king.”

“I didn’t come empty-handed,” she said. “The second thing Jakoven wants from me is the means to convict your cousin Beckram of being a traitor.” She flexed her hand again and continued, “It seemed to be a matter of some importance.”

I noticed that she didn’t say Beckram wasn’t involved.