Like Relos Var, like Janel, Tya ran hotter in temperature than a normal person. Much hotter, and Brother Qown made a note to see if he could find a connection between tenyé and heat levels. Did tenyé have a tangible energy impact? What did this physiological difference signify?

Then Janel was crying and Tya was crying, and Qown wished he didn’t have to keep watching. Much more embarrassing than spying on sex, which he’d forced himself to do more than once for fear he’d lose information otherwise.

He watched, anyway. And he watched as mother and daughter defeated Aeyan’arric together.

Brother Qown exhaled. Whatever else happened, Janel would be fine. Her mother would take her away.

She’d made it.

Then something pushed him, knocking Worldhearth from his hand.

Senera loomed over him. “Watching anything interesting?”

“What? I—”

She grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him from the chair. He looked around and saw her soldiers filled the room. The soldiers were patched and bandaged, as if they’d just come from a fight.

Which they probably had.

“What’s happened?” Brother Qown asked.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Senera said. “Will you walk, or should I have the lieutenant carry you?”

He stood, straightening his agolé as he picked up Worldhearth. “I’ll walk.”

Together, they marched from the main library, heading upstairs to the great hall. Brother Qown felt his stomach squeeze tighter with each step. They’d been discovered. They’d been discovered far too early. Everyone at the palace must have witnessed the fight outside. And no one—not Duke Kaen and certainly not Relos Var—would be happy to see Aeyan’arric slain. The Yorans would probably kill Qown, but he’d known that would be the price.

He’d always known.

But when he stepped up into the giant crystal trapezoid, he saw a scene he’d expected and two additional details he hadn’t.

What he expected: Duke Azhen Kaen stood there, furious and mighty, looking like he had been roused from bed and had not yet had time to decorate his beard. His wife, Xivan, stood next to him, as well as his son, Exidhar. Wyrga sat at her normal place by the fire, accompanied by her pet polar bear cub / ensorcelled husband. The Spurned spread out like an honor guard, dressed in full armor and holding shields and swords. Qown didn’t recognize the robust blue-haired Yoran man standing just to the side of the duke, but that wasn’t shocking. Most of the Yoran nobles wanted nothing to do with him, and the early hour meant a great many of the normal faces were absent.