He ate it, cut a piece of the bread, scooped a couple seeds from the pomegranate, ate them and stood quietly, chewing slowly. Finally he leaned to me and said quietly. “It’s not poisoned.”

“A weremongoose,” Hugh said. “Most prudent of you.”

“We mean no offense,” Barabas said.

Hugh waved at him. “Of course. Would’ve done the same in your place. Can never be too careful.”

Apparently I had acquired my own personal poison tester. I made a note to talk with Barabas once the dinner was over.

Desandra rose. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

Andrea and I stood up. My legs felt wooden. Desandra rolled her eyes and went around the table to the door on the left. We followed her. Behind me Hugh said, “So, Lennart, how was the trip? The Atlantic can be dangerous this time of year.”

We crossed the hall and stepped into the corridor. I sped up and took the point. We’d run the basic two-person detail. In trouble, one of us would secure the body, the other would deal with the threats. The magic was up, and that made me better equipped for countermeasures. During tech, we’d switch.

“Turn right,” Desandra said. “Will the two of you watch me pee, too?”

“Why is your English so American?” Andrea asked, her voice wooden.

“My mother took off two years after I was born,” Desandra said. “A nice American woman looked after me. My father hired her so I would learn the language. He said it would be useful. He wouldn’t let me take Angela with me when I got married. He threw her out of the pack. I haven’t seen her since.”

I didn’t like Desandra. I didn’t know her and she would prove difficult to guard, but I felt sorry for her.

Ahead of me an intersection waited. “Which way?”

“Left.”

We turned the corner. Another long deserted hallway lit with yellow feylanterns. No danger. No guards either. Hmm.

“Finally,” Desandra breathed. “Stupid pregnancy. Stupid babies. Can’t sit for more than two minutes without running to the bathroom. I swear if that little bastard, whichever one he is, kicks me in the bladder one more time, I’ll punch him.”

And my sympathy evaporated. “If you try to punch your unborn children, we will restrain you.”

“Cool your tits,” Desandra said. “I’m not going to punch myself. I just want these kids to be superachievers and get out of me already. Here. This door.”

Thank you, Universe.

I swung the door open. A typical bathroom: three stalls, a long stone vanity with two sinks. Solid floor, solid ceiling, a small ventilation window near the ceiling, six feet long, six inches wide. Steel bars guarded the window.

I checked the stalls one by one. Empty. I stepped out into the hallway. “Clear.”

“Oh, good. Can I pee now? Sometime in this century would be nice.”