Evin’s eyes shot away from the tapestry to see the backlit figures of two people standing on the balcony. They stepped forward into the light of the hall, and Evin took in a sharp breath.

One was the squat, hunched, white-haired figure of the Swamp Witch they’d met in the destroyed storehouse in Hesiod. Only now she wore respectable green wizard’s robes. Beside her stood a tall man with slicked back black hair, a goatee, and severely angular eyebrows. His black robes curled around him, tendril-like, and he peered at Evin with shrewd, sickly yellow eyes.

The wizard with the yellow eyes walked slowly down the steps of the balcony to the table. Hands behind his back and chin held high, he looked among Evin, Jorick, and Bet, a small smile on his lips.

“I have been waiting for you.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Who is that?” Jorick hissed to Bet.

“It’s my master, Sefron,” Bet whispered back urgently. “He is the one currently in charge of the order.”

Evin was barely listening. He knew those eyes. And the man’s voice. They were from his dreams.

“Sefron is the one who took away our memories, isn’t he?” Evin asked.

Bet nodded.

Sefron came close, his slender form towering above them. Evin heard the sound of the Jorick’s sword unsheathing. He leaped in front of Evin, the tip of his sword aimed up at the man’s chest.

“Give us back our memories and let us go home,” Jorick demanded, “or I’ll cut you in half!”

The edges of the man’s lips curled into a smile and he walked directly to Jorick’s sword. Jorick held the blade high, unwavering. Just as it appeared that the imposing wizard would impale himself on the sword, the blade curled down away from his chest as though the sword had become a limp noodle.

Jorick’s eyes went wide. The wizard took another step forward. The sword wilted away. The man towered above Jorick, looking down his nose at the boy.

“Now why would you want to go home?” the man said, his tone condescending. “I worked so very hard to free you from a life as a street urchin, to give you a sense of purpose and a family. You were quite anxious to take up my offer when I presented it to you.”

“That’s not true.” Jorick stood his ground. “I’d never agree to this.”

Sefron tilted his head. “No?” His eyes flashed like gold and Jorick stiffened. His fingers went slack and the useless sword fell to the floor.

Holding his head, Jorick stepped back. “No,” he muttered. “You didn’t tell me everything. You said I’d be safe and you’d give me gold. You—” He fell silent.