“But you’re right, we can’t return to Ceyrun in that time,” continued Asan. “As far as I can see, that leaves us with three options. The first is staying here and waiting for the Haunt to arrive.”

“The hall can be defended,” Morwin insisted angrily. “If we don’t waste time with—”

“The next”—Asan spoke right over her—“is dividing into smaller groups and immediately dispersing across the countryside. The Haunt might not be drawn to the scent of individual Sisters with Ceyrun so nearby; it might ignore us altogether. But if that gambit fails, then whichever lone cohort the creature targets will be practically defenceless.”

“You would sacrifice Sisters?” said Morwin.

Asan’s expression turned very cold. “I would sacrifice no one, although I suspect that splitting up would still result in fewer deaths than remaining here.”

“You have no way of knowing that.”

“Our third option is to make for Geise’s Crown.” Asan folded her arms. “If we push the horses, it should take no more than forty minutes. From the higher vantage point, we’ll be able to see the Haunt coming. Instead of binding an entire building, we bind the creature directly. Less lace, more time for reserves to reach us. We light the flares, we wait. No one gets hurt.”

“Unless your calculations are off, and the Haunt reaches us in the open.”

“I am with Commander Asan.”

The auditorium had been listening, rapt, to the Councilwomen’s argument, but now they turned to stare at Rhyanon. She held her head high, and a fierce pride was written across her face as she gazed at the Commander. Asan met her eyes, and returned that expression with equal boldness, the same measure of warmth and challenge and possessiveness.

Oh, I thought, stunned. So that’s how it is.

“I am with the Commander too.” Jesane rose beside me.

I looked around, then also stood up. Morwin glared daggers at us, but I kept my nerve. Around the room, others were rising in turn, until almost every Sister was on her feet.

“I suppose that settles the matter, then,” said Asan.

CHAPTER

TWENTY

The moon cast a thin sliver of silver above the southern horizon. The air remained warm, and the sky was dark and hazy. I urged the horses down the eastern track, air streaming over my face. Before we had left Tivaria, Asan had instructed all the civilians to remain inside the hall, including our Ceyrun drivers. Alone, we would take the cabs as far as the old farm roads allowed, then cross the remaining distance on foot.