Rosem nodded. “He enjoys your visits.” He stopped stirring and set his spoon aside. “Do you really think that this mage of yours can get the Hurogmeten out?”

“He seems to think so,” she said.

“Would he agree to get someone else out, too?”

Her heart picked up, but she said, “Is this the right time? I thought that we needed to wait until things were properly supported. Wouldn’t want the whole structure to fall for want of underpinnings.” Like Kellen’s name, the rebellion was only referred to indirectly. Scrying spells could be set to activate at key words—like “Alizon” or “Kellen”—if there were a wizard who wanted to waste so much effort on a poor man who worked as a cleaner at the Asylum.

“We are supposed to get word when the time is right,” she said. Alizon swore he’d tell Rosem as soon as there was any kind of hope for a rebellion against Jakoven.

“I don’t think he’ll last much longer in there,” said Rosem heavily.

In all the time she’d known Kellen’s man, she had never seen him nervous before, but the blunt-nailed hands that used toweling and pulled the hob out of the fire were shaking. “Until last season I used to get him to wrestle with me, but he won’t do that anymore. I don’t think he believes he’ll ever get out. I think he’s just humoring me because he can’t bear to hurt me. He’s lost more weight, did you notice?”

She nodded her head. “Ward’s man would do it, I think. But he’ll need to know what he’s getting into. I won’t have him unaware of the magnitude of what we want.”

“Let me meet your wizard,” Rosem said.

“After I get out of the Asylum tomorrow,” agreed Tisala. “I’ll talk to him.”

“Just ask him to meet me. Don’t say anything else. I want a look at him before I trust him with this.”

TISALAFROWNED AS SHE WALKED.BRINGINGOREGinto this made her feel uneasy and she thought until she pinned down the cause.

Oreg liked to bait people. She’d seen him do it with Tosten in particular, because Tosten rose to the occasion. Ward mostly enjoyed it. But if Oreg tried it with Rosem, as uptight as Rosem was now, he’d would try to kill Oreg.

Rosem was good with any weapon at hand, but Oreg was a wizard—a dragon.

Tisala sighed and rubbed her forehead.

OREGWAS WAITING BY THE OAK TREE IN THE PARKwhen she got there. His face was peaceful in the moonlight, all the signs of stress she’d seen in the tavern were gone as if he’d donned a blank mask.

“Oreg,” she said when she was close enough. She’d decided to approach him here, rather than in Duraugh’s house. “My contact at the Asylum wants to meet you tomorrow.”