In any event, it meant I only had to dominate their queen to rule the whole clan. I could only give the animals simple commands, but I thought it enough to ensure the former prisoners safely escaped Yor.

“The hyenas will escort you out and bring you food. Don’t attack them. Don’t even try to touch them, but they’ll keep you safe.”

I suppose I couldn’t blame the prisoners for looking scared and nervous. Between the hot coins and the hyena escort, enough of them remembered stories told at grandmother’s knee to suspect me of being a witch-mother. I was in no position to correct them.

I closed up the wagon doors and pulled myself back up behind the bears, grown restless with the proximity of that hyena clan. “It’s the best I can do,” I told them. “Good luck.” I nudged the bears to head back to the palace.

I didn’t know if they’d make it, but I suspected they’d rather have a chance.

When I returned, everyone seemed to accept I had indeed executed those prisoners. How could it have been otherwise? The soldiers reported back to Kaen, who in turn seemed pleased.

I thought I’d gotten away with it.

At least, I thought so for a little while.

50: WAR RESEARCH

Jorat Dominion, Quuros Empire. Three days since Thurvishar revealed he wasn’t really Gadrith D’Lorus’s son

“What gave it away?” Kihrin asked.

Ninavis and Janel shared a look before the latter waved a hand. “No, no, that would be jumping almost to the end. There’s a few more pieces of this story to tell first or it wouldn’t make sense.”

Qown flipped to a new section of his journal. “We’re almost finished, anyway.”

Qown’s Turn. The Ice Demesne, Yor, Quur.

Brother Qown sat in the library, working on his notes, when Janel came through the door and slid into a seat next to him. She began tapping her foot against the ground in a way that spoke of ill-contained anxiety, like she might break out into a run at any moment. It reminded him of horses, and he winced.

It had been a long time since they’d ridden horses. Surprisingly, he missed Cloud. He hoped whoever now owned the sweet little gelding had treated him well.

“Did you need something?” Qown asked after a long silence. He hadn’t seen nearly as much of Janel as he would have liked, and he found himself upset to realize he didn’t really know what she’d been doing with herself.

Errands for the duke. Training with the Spurned. Presumably passing messages and secrets to the Joratese rebellion. Not that he expected her to tell him about the latter, but he was sad they hardly spoke anymore.

Janel frowned at him. “You sent a message to me, remember?” Her right leg continued its nervous rapping.