“It will not be good for Iceway if King Prayard dies. Yes, my sons are alive, but I will not bring them back until they’re old enough to stand up for themselves. This is a bad time for the chaos of a dead king without an heir, or with only an unborn baby to inherit. The jarlingmoot will insist on electing an adult as king, breaking the line. But there’s no one ready to stand as king. Not even you.”

He knew that she was right.

“I want Queen Bexoi’s baby to be born alive,” said Anonoei. “It’s good for Iceway if Gray believes that a half-Gray child is next in line for Iceway’s throne.”

Because she was communicating with him at levels deeper than speech, he understood exactly what she meant. “You think the child can be controlled?”

“I think the mother means to kill the King herself and rule Iceway through him.”

“And you think this is a reason to allow the sparrowbitch to live?”

“I think this is a reason to keep the King away from her.”

“I’ll take her to an island far from here and strand her on the shore—will that do?”

“She would burn the ship to the waterline before she’d let it take her anywhere,” said Anonoei.

“A firemage,” said Keel. “Not a Feathergirl.”

“A Firemaster at least,” said Anonoei. “And so powerful she can make a clant that bleeds.”

Now Keel understood why Luvix had been so sure that he had killed Bexoi.

“I should have guessed it,” said Keel.

“No one else did,” said Anonoei.

“Except you,” said Keel.

“I don’t guess,” said Anonoei. “You must be more patient than you have been so far.”

“What if I choose to ignore your warning?”

“Then I’ll find someone else to help me,” said Anonoei, “and you can watch the people suffer as you destroy Iceway. As I said, my loyalty is not to Iceway, though our plans can help each other if you choose.”

“What do you want me to do?” said Keel, believing her but also knowing that his belief was probably the result of her magery.

“Give me time,” she said. “Give me a chance to go work my plans in Gray. Let me shape events so Gray’s ambitious heir grows impatient with his father. Let it be Gray that collapses in chaos, while Bexoi is here, nursing and protecting her second son. Let’s see whether her motherly love is stronger than her ambition. Either she’ll stay here and remain safe, or she’ll go—and leave her son behind.”