“I think so,” Jorval replied, an odd glitter appearing in his eyes. “If what I suspect is true, the Territory Queens in Kaeleer must be warned immediately. That’s why I asked you to come. I’m to meet someone tonight who claims to have information about the people missing from the lists. I wanted another member of the Council to come with me as a witness to confirm what was said. I wanted you because, if we are in danger, the High Lord will listen to you.”

That decided Magstrom. “Since there may be some risk in revealing this information, we shouldn’t keep this person waiting.”

“No,” Jorval replied, sounding queer, “we shouldn’t.”

They found an available horse-drawn cab almost as soon as they left the building. A heavy silence filled the cab until, a few minutes later, it pulled up.

Magstrom stepped out, looked around, and felt a jagged-edged fear. They were at the edge of Goth’s slums, not a place for the unwary—or for an older man at any time.

“I know,” Jorval said hurriedly as he took Magstrom’s arm and began leading him through narrow, dirty streets. “It seems an unlikely meeting place, but I think that’s why it was chosen. Even if someone recognized us, they would think they were mistaken.”

Breathing heavily, Magstrom struggled to keep up with Jorval. He could feel eyes watching them from shadowed doorways—and he could sense the flickers of power coming from the ones who watched. There were many reasons why a dark-Jeweled male could end up in a place like this.

Finally, they slipped into the back door of a large building and silently climbed the stairs. At a second floor door, Jorval fumbled with a key, then stepped aside to allow Magstrom to enter the suite.

The furnishings in the sitting room were secondhand and shabby. The room itself looked as if even minimal cleaning hadn’t been done in a long time. And it stank of decay.

“Something wrong?” Jorval asked in an oddly gleeful voice.

Magstrom moved toward the narrow windows. A little air might help relieve the smell. “I think a mouse or a rat must have died behind the walls, so—”

Jorval made a queer sound—a sharp, high-pitched giggle—at the same time the bedroom door opened and a hooded figure stepped into the sitting room.

Magstrom turned—and couldn’t say a word.

Knucklebones peeked out of the split skin as brown hands pushed the hood back.

Magstrom stared at the hate-filled gold eyes in the ravaged, decaying face. She took a step toward him. He took a step back. Then he took another…and another…until there was nowhere to go.

Jorval smiled at him. “I thought it was time you met the Dark Priestess.”

2 / Kaeleer

“Is something wrong?” Daemon asked Saetan. He glanced at Lucivar, who was intently studying their father.