And they might be right.

A dozen voices raised at once.

Kalazan—Kalazan, of all people—silenced them. “Whoever did this made no effort to protect Tamin. He was a target as much as any of us.”

“Who’s to say you ain’t the one responsible?” someone shouted. “He said you was helping witches. Was this your doing?”

“No!” Kalazan scowled. “Of course not.”

“Be quiet,” I ordered.

They ignored me.

I sighed and inhaled deep. Just before I raised my voice, Arasgon raised his.

“My lord said be quiet. You’re alive because she saved you. Be silent!”

The voices paused.

“Thank you, Arasgon,” I said. “Everyone, grab what you can. We will meet in the town if the smoke hasn’t yet reached it. If it has, keep moving until you find an area free from smoke and wait there.”

“But my husband—”

I raised my voice, despite all my intentions not to. “If he isn’t here, if he hasn’t been blessed by my people, then it is too late to save him. Today, we leave the dead where they fall. Now go!”

“How do we know we can trust you?”

I whirled back to the crowd. They were so few compared to how many there had been just a short time earlier. “Because I’m still here. Trust me or not as your conscience demands. But if you stay here and do nothing, or stay here to burn your dead, you will soon join them. You will only add your corpses to these others. So make your choice. We leave now.”

The gathered crowd scrambled to find their azhocks and possessions. Ninavis and her people had already been parted from their meager possessions some time ago.

Ninavis’s group had gained in size. I recognized the smith who’d left his azhock to stare at us the previous night, as well as the black-skinned, silver-haired girl who had fetched him.

Dorna had done well, rescuing all these plus her own horse, Pocket Biter, and Brother Qown’s sweet gelding, Cloud. Only a few dozen people, in addition to the ones Brother Qown had saved. Thousands had attended the fair.

No. I couldn’t dwell on that.

“Which way to town?” I asked Arasgon.

He tossed his head, pointing into the smoke. For all I could tell, he might as well have been pointing to the castle, but I knew his sense of direction was superior to my own.

I helped Kalazan pick up Tamin, and we walked.

11: EIGHT GATES

Jorat Dominion, Quuros Empire. Two days since the Devoran Prophecies stopped being so hypothetical

“That smoke wiped out a whole town?” Kihrin didn’t try to hide the horror in his voice. “How many people died?”

Janel scowled. “I didn’t count.”