“So … I could have left here at any time, with Thurvishar’s help?”

“Wait, we could’ve left at any time?” Dorna seemed just as surprised.

Kihrin ignored the old woman and continued glaring at Janel. “Tell me you didn’t know Relos Var was going to send over Aeyan’arric to keep us trapped.”

“I swear I didn’t,” Janel said. “I didn’t even realize Aeyan’arric had returned to life. Relos Var had claimed she would, but I had no idea how little time it would take.”

Kihrin ground his teeth, wrestling with his anger. “And I’m supposed to trust you? You’ve handed Relos Var my location. He’s not my friend, Janel. He doesn’t have a single good intention regarding me.”

Janel looked about to protest, but then inhaled instead. “It wouldn’t matter if he did. He’s a farmer raising livestock. A farmer may like a pig—name it, pet it, feed it treats—but it will still see the ax come autumn. Even if he loved you, even if he loved me, it wouldn’t stop him from killing us if he felt it was needed.”

“Sure, and what pig cares that he was loved, when it’s time for the slaughter.”

“But,” Qown said, “I’ve come to know him well enough to say with certainty that he doesn’t kill unnecessarily. The prophecies strongly imply Morios will be defeated—there’s no reason to think Relos Var wouldn’t want to help us accomplish that goal.”

“That makes me feel so much better,” Kihrin snapped. “Oh wait, no, it doesn’t.”

“Qown, send a message to Thurvishar. Tell him to open a gate here so Kihrin may leave.” Janel rubbed her temples and made a study of the bar counter.

“But—” Qown’s eyes widened. “The … dragon. There’s a quarter million people in Atrine right now…”

“Tricking Kihrin to help us under false pretenses was always a mistake. I don’t know why I ever thought otherwise.”

“Because of a quarter million people, foal,” Dorna said.

Star raised an eyebrow. “You’re running?”

“Oh, don’t you start,” Kihrin said. He sat back down and waved at Qown when the priest pulled Worldhearth from his agolé. “Put that away. I’m staying.”

Janel blinked. “You are?”

“I have four reasons,” he said as he drank the last of his cold coffee. “First, I came here to find you, and while I’m not happy about the way this is going, I’m not leaving without you. Second, because the hell if I’m running from Relos Var, when I’m the one carrying Godslayer. He should be running from me. Third, because I’ll feel like a real ass if Morios is real, and I just left all those people to die.”

“And fourth?” Janel asked.

He grimaced. “You can’t just end the story there. I need to know what happens next.”