“He had to stay with me all the time at first, and then he just got used to it. But he could feel Mother the whole time. He made it so I could feel her, too, and she could feel us.”

“She never told me that.”

“So what?” asked Enopp. “Why should she tell you anything? You were the one who imprisoned us.”

“You’re saying that Eluik can feel her now?” asked Wad.

“Yes,” said Enopp. “If she were dead, he’d know it because he wouldn’t be able to find her.”

“He can’t even find his own body,” said Wad. “I’m not going to believe anything he says unless he says it with his own mouth.”

“Why do you get to make the rules?” asked Enopp.

“Because I’m the most powerful mage in either world,” said Wad.

“I thought you were down to your last few gates because Danny North is stronger,” said Enopp.

“The Belmage got him but Danny gave all my gates back to me and gave me all of his, too.”

“He really trusts you,” said Enopp.

“Yes, I guess he does,” said Wad.

“Why can’t you trust me and Eluik?” asked Enopp.

“Because I’m not as trusting as Danny North,” said Wad. “He’s a kid, and I’m more than a thousand years old.”

“A thousand years inside a tree,” said Enopp. “That made you so much wiser, I guess.”

Wad couldn’t believe this conversation. He had expected to comfort two grief-stricken boys. He had thought maybe his news would bring Eluik out of his trance, put his ka back in his own body. Instead, they were pretending it wasn’t true and Wad didn’t think there was any urgency about forcing them to believe. “Believe what you want,” said Wad. “I have to get back.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Enopp.

“I’m going to leave you here for the time being. You’re still King Prayard’s illegitimate sons. You look like him. So there are still people who’ll want to use you and people who’ll want to kill you.”

“Not about us,” said Enopp. “Eluik wants to know what you’re going to do about Queen Bexoi.”

“I’m going to kill her,” said Wad. “As soon as she has her baby. Your brother. Once he’s born, you’re not as useful and not as dangerous. Maybe you can go home.”

“Don’t kill her,” said Enopp.

“You don’t get a vote on that question,” said Wad. “Even if I don’t kill her for killing your mother, I’ll kill her for murdering my son.”

“Don’t kill her,” said Enopp. “Eluik says you can’t.”

“Eluik said nothing,” said Wad. “I watched his lips.”

“Eluik says that’s where Mother is.”

Wad thought about this for a moment. “Inside Bexoi?”