“They are, I’m sure,” said the treemage. “What did they say about their mother’s death?”

“I haven’t told them,” said Wad.

“What makes you think that they don’t know?” asked the treemage.

“Because they’re on one world, and their mother died on another.”

“These are not ordinary boys,” said the treemage.

That was true enough.

“You imprisoned them with their mother for more than a year,” said the treemage. “Then separated them so she could help you seek vengeance on Queen Bexoi. You owe them a conversation. You owe them the truth, that they are orphans no matter which world they’re on.”

It was true that Wad owed a debt to them—their imprisonment had been terrifying and wrong, and it was all Wad’s doing. Now their mother was dead because he hadn’t realized that she was calling to him until it was too late.

And now that he thought of her, it was as if he could hear her voice in his mind. Why haven’t you told my boys yet how I died?

“I can’t tell them how she died,” said Wad. “It’s too terrible.”

“Not telling them is terrible,” said the treemage. “Children heal better than adults. Tell them now, while they’re still children.”

“They’re on Mittlegard,” said Wad.

“Then you’re the only person on Westil who can get to them,” said the treemage.

“I’m not going to make a Great Gate, and I’m not going to use any of Danny North’s Great Gates either, because then the Belmage will know that I’m on Mittlegard.”

“Then make a Great Gate after all. Use it and eat it so it’s gone.”

Hearing it spoken aloud made it seem so obvious. He didn’t dare to make a permanent Great Gate, and the two that Danny made posed a serious danger to both worlds. But to make a temporary gate and then close it permanently—the Belmage couldn’t use that to get to Westil.

Unless he struck while Wad was still on Mittlegard. Danny North would sense Wad’s arrival—indeed, he would know that a Great Gate had been made. But would that knowledge be available to the Belmage? Would he understand it if he felt it himself? Danny was still able to make gates, using the captive outselves of long-dead gatemages; if the Belmage understood what was happening, he could force Danny to bring him directly to the Great Gate; Wad would have no choice then but to eat the gate before the Belmage could use it to go to Westil.

It would require alertness. But since Wad held all of Danny’s gates inside him, Wad would be aware of whatever Danny did. There would be warning.