Mika wiped his nose on his arm and nodded. “But they’ve had lots of dangerous adventures and always come home. So I know my master will come back.”

“Unless the monster kills him,” Vhadä observed, which only made Mika want to cry again. Embarrassed, he turned on his side and pretended to go to sleep. Worry was making him feel sick in his stomach.

“I’m sorry, Mika,” his friend whispered. “I won’t ask any more questions. Good night.”

Mika really tried to go to sleep, but he couldn’t after talking to Vhadä. At last he got up and got dressed as quietly as he could, then stole downstairs, keeping a sharp eye out for the ghostly woman. He didn’t see her, though, and made it outside to see if his ghost friend was there.

He was, only this time he was up by the pond. Mika ran to join him. “Is my master safe? And the others?”

The ghost boy didn’t seem to understand. Instead, he pointed urgently up the road again, just like the night before, and finally stamped his foot in frustration.

“You really think I need to go back, don’t you?” Even though the boy didn’t really answer him, Mika had the strongest feeling that he was trying to warn him about something. “Is it about Rhazat?”

The ghost understood that. He nodded and disappeared as if the very sound of her name had scared him away. Mika stood there, biting his lip as he tried to decide what to do. Master Thero had told him to stay here; there was no arguing that. He said he’d send for him if he needed him. But what if he couldn’t? What if Rhazat had caught him and was torturing him like she had Mika? Then his master couldn’t send for him, because his magic wouldn’t work!

That and the bad feeling in his stomach decided him. He went back to the house and crept into the kitchen pantry, where he found a sack and put in as much food as he could carry. Then he hurried up to the barn for his pony, Little Star. She nickered sleepily as he put on the saddle and tightened the girth the way Klia had taught him when she gave the little mare to him. Looping the knotted neck of the sack over the pommel, he pulled himself up and set off for Menosi at a canter.