“It depends on what he offers her. She has plenty of soldiers, but it is harder to fight on two fronts. Better to join forces until the bigger threat is taken care of. I’d use him until he no longer served my purposes.”

“You’d break a treaty?”

“Of course. I don’t want to share power, my dear.”

But would Cellina be that ruthless? This was the same woman who couldn’t kill Kerrick. She risked her life lying to Tohon so he’d believe Kerrick was dead. I didn’t know her that well, but from our encounters, the whole biological warfare and teaming up with the Skeleton King didn’t seem like Cellina’s style. If she wasn’t the one making alliances and spreading the plague, then who else had access to Tohon’s research and supplies? Sepp!

Except he worked for Cellina. Or did he? He was a powerful death magician with an ego to match. Perhaps he called the shots. That fit better with the plague attacks.

“It’s a pleasure to watch you puzzle things out, my dear.”

“But it doesn’t help our current situation.”

“I disagree. Knowing your enemy is very important. And I’m surprised your Prince Ryne hasn’t figured it out yet. Unless he has....”

Once again, Tohon took the cheap shot, dredging my subconscious to bring forth all my fears.

“You should trust your instincts, Avry. Except the one to sacrifice your life for another. That one you should ignore. But for all the others, there’s a reason you have those fears. Call it experience, observation, or just a gut feeling—you shouldn’t discount them.”

Advice from a psychotic megalomaniac. Wonderful.

“An intelligent psychotic megalomaniac. Big difference.”

“Stop reading my mind.”

“You do know how ridiculous that is? I’m in your mind and you’re in mine. You can do it, too, you just choose not to.”

“I’m not brave enough to taste your special kind of darkness.”

“What you see is what you get, my dear.” He stretched his arms wide. “Aside from underestimating you, I’ve no regrets and no guilt. All I’ve done has been with the purest intentions to unite the Fifteen Realms. I didn’t create the plague, just capitalized on its existence.”

It was pointless to argue with him. Instead, I tested his I’m-an-open-book claim. “Tell me what happened to Belen. Is he one of the dead soldiers?”

“Ah, Belen. I intercepted a message about him.”

“And?” Concentrating on his thoughts, I sought the truth.

“And he—”

“Avry, wake up,” Danny said. “Sergeant Phelix is still alive!”

Jolted from my dream, I sat up. So close. Another minute and I’d have found out what happened to Belen.

“Avry? Hello?” Danny waved his hands in front of my face. “Sergeant Phelix?”