“All right.” Hezram leads Yari into the cabin and shuts the door. A bolt slides. The Dog runs close, whines, and paces. He hears murmurs and catches a jumble of scents coming from under the door—joy, fear, lust. They argue and laugh and curse. Silence. The scents fade. The Dog jumps against the door and scratches. He digs in the dirt till his paws bleed. He can’t get in. Tunnels under the cabin take mountain water to the Amethyst River and also lead to the temple. The Dog has wandered there trailing Awa and caught Hezram’s scent. If he goes to the temple he might find Yari and Hezram, before Hezram sucks Yari’s blood and eats vie’s heart.

The Dog races off as fast as he can run. He hates the temple: thrashing breath bodies, caldrons of oil and blood, clouds of void-smoke. He slips through an open door, looking like a gust of soot. Dazed acolytes almost trip over him, but he stays away from clumsy feet. They breathe too much void-smoke. It’s killing them. Awa and Meera were here yesterday with Rokiat. The Dog will find them later.

Wandering without a pack in the temple is dangerous. Heavy doors slam shut at night. Some tunnels lead to nowhere. Priests hunt dogs and pierce them with swords or throw fire. Spirit slaves tear dogs to pieces. The Dog smells this, but can’t turn back. He has Yari’s scent and Hezram’s, from moments ago. He runs, knocking down an acolyte who doesn’t get up. Others trip over the boy and also don’t get up. The commotion is camouflage. Nobody sees the Dog stick a nose in Hezram’s chamber.

Too late. Hezram hugs Yari’s thrashing breath body. He drizzles poison in Yari’s mouth and chants in vie’s ear. The Dog lunges for Hezram’s throat. A pack of breath bodies reeking of Hezram leap up and block the Dog. No chains hold them to stone benches. Hezram barks and Yari joins the attack. A mass of fists and teeth try to bite the Dog’s neck. They rip mouthfuls of fur from his back. Spirit slaves are awkward and confused in the everyday.

The Dog knocks Yari down and other spirit slaves fall on vie. Before they regroup, the Dog dashes out the door. Spirit slaves are too inept to trail him. They chase their tails and barge into one another, blocking Hezram. The Dog runs along the Dream Gates to the outside. Dazed acolytes don’t notice him slipping out the citadel. He picks up Awa’s trail and runs and runs until he sees her. She is beyond the warhorse meadows with Rokiat and Meera. They bury bodies—dead men who reek of temple conjure and void-smoke. The Dog charges into Awa and almost knocks her down.

Awa pets him. “What’s the matter?”