“Wait, I don’t understand,” Qown said. “The person you both know is a harp? I apologize. I thought you were talking about Queen Miyane.”

Kihrin winced and raised his head, turning to Brother Qown. “That wasn’t Queen Miyane. Blue hair, yes, and they’re probably related, given the first syllable of their names, but not the same person.”

“Then who is she?”

Kihrin knocked his head against his chair several times. “No, it’s like you said, Relos Var loves to attack people through their families. That was my mother. And I’d go through all the weird genealogies involved, but the Stone of Shackles came into play. If we’re only trapped in here for a few weeks, I don’t know if we have the time.”

“She sounded worried about you,” Janel said.

“Yeah. I suppose she went to Relos Var for help after I was kidnapped, when my father’s search failed to produce any results. And Relos Var told her what she wanted to hear. I wonder what she’d say if she knew he sent a kraken to kill me. He does not want me healthy and in one piece.” He shook his head. “I should have known. I should have fucking known. Of course.”

Janel and Brother Qown exchanged a look.

“Right,” Janel said. “Well, I suppose I should tell the part about my mother.”

Janel’s Turn. The Afterlife.

I knew what had happened just as soon as I woke up in the Afterlife.

“Son of a mule,” I muttered under my breath and wondered if I had really died this time. Had I been given drugs or poison? I wouldn’t know until I woke up again.

Or didn’t.

***NOW WHAT HAVE WE TOLD YOU ABOUT BEING TOO TRUSTING?***

I drew my sword as I turned to face Xaltorath. Xaltorath’s tone didn’t indicate she planned a mother-daughter chat about the polite way to eat shellfish.

“You might have had a point this time.”

***YOUR DEATH ISN’T PART OF MY PLAN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? I WILL NOT HAVE YOU TAKEN OUT BY SOME SPOILED LITTLE YORAN WHOSE AMBITIONS REVOLVE AROUND PUTTING HER BRAT ON A THRONE.***

“Look, I didn’t think—”

She backhanded me. That makes it sound like something a noblewoman might do to a courtier who displeased her. But Xaltorath’s backhand threw me twenty feet and would have slain me in the living world. And then she rushed toward me wielding a glaive, which hadn’t been there a second ago.

I raked my sword across her stomach, but the wound healed immediately. I stabbed her, but she grabbed the sword, grinning as the edges cut her hands. She broke the sword in half and threw the pieces to the ground behind me.

***I’M GOING TO HAVE TO TEACH YOU A LESSON.***

She reached for me.

“Let’s … not,” someone said.