‘No, I want every survivor with me, in the dining room. I know – I could post guards, but to be honest, until we know the nature of our attacker, I’ll not split up my squads.’

‘Corporal, you have six hundred Houseblades at your disposal—’

‘The squads I know and trust, horse master. The rest are locking down the grounds.’

‘I don’t understand,’ said Sandalath.

‘Mistress,’ replied Yalad, ‘if we’re in time, then the assassins are still with us. But no matter what, to get into the house … it is quite possible that there are co-conspirators. Indeed, given the number of new recruits we’ve been taking on, the assassins could well come from among the Houseblades. I am even now determining if anyone cannot be accounted for. For now, however, I want all the survivors in one place, where I can keep them safe. So please, both of you follow me.’

Venth gestured Sandalath between himself and Yalad, and in this formation they quickly made their way towards the dining hall.

‘Why is this happening?’ Sandalath asked.

When Yalad did not reply, Venth cleared his throat and said, ‘The Lord has enemies in the court, mistress.’

‘But he’s not even here!’

‘No, mistress, he isn’t.’

‘If he had been,’ growled Yalad ahead of them, ‘we’d be looking down at the corpses of however many assassins got in here tonight. And dead or not, Draconus would get answers from them.’

Venth grunted. ‘He’s no warlock, corporal. I don’t know where those rumours came from, but I ain’t never seen anything to suggest he is – and I wager neither have you.’

‘He is the Consort,’ Yalad countered. ‘Or would you deny Mother Dark’s ascension, horse master?’

‘I would not,’ Venth replied.

‘I may not have seen anything,’ Yalad said, ‘but Captain Ivis has.’

‘I wish the captain was here,’ said Sandalath.

‘You’re not alone in that,’ Yalad said in a growl, and Venth could not tell if the young man had taken offence. There were times when this hostage displayed all the tact of a child.

The corporal looked in each of the maid cells, but his glance was brief and he was quick to close the doors behind him before moving on. ‘I don’t get this,’ Venth heard him mutter. And then he halted.

Venth almost collided with the young man. ‘What is it, corporal?’

‘His daughters – have you seen them? Anywhere?’

‘No, but then, I rarely do,’ Venth replied. And I’m grateful for that.

‘Stay here,’ Yalad said, and then he edged past them, returning to the last of the cell doors. He went inside, and when he reappeared there was blood on his hands. He moved to pass them but Venth blocked him, and the thing he did not want to contemplate was now burning like a wildfire in his mind.

He met Yalad’s eyes. ‘Well?’