“Tya removed all the dangers,” Brother Qown said. “Earlier.”

Senera met his stare. “It’s not necessary,” she repeated Qown’s earlier warning to herself, and then sighed.

A guard lowered Janel to the ground. “Do you want me to wake her?”

“Good luck with that,” Ninavis said.

Senera walked over to Janel and frowned. “Relos Var must have her under another sleep spell.”

“I doubt Relos Var had her under a sleep spell after the duel in Atrine,” Brother Qown said. “She’s … hard to wake once she sleeps.”

So naturally, Janel woke right away.

Qown and Ninavis exchanged looks. It was still night. Janel normally wouldn’t—couldn’t—wake before dawn.

“Hard to wake, you say?” Senera raised an eyebrow at Qown. She gestured to the guards. “Get her up.”

Wyrga ignored them as she ran her hands over the stone monolith, muttering to herself.

“Janel,” Qown said. “Are you all right? The situation is a bit, uh—”

“Everything’s screwed,” Ninavis finished.

Janel blinked as the guards hauled her to a standing position. “Hey, Ninavis. It’s been a while.”

“You too,” Ninavis said. “You know, I’d started to wonder if you were a ghost haunting Arasgon from the afterlife. Looks like I owe Dorna twenty thrones.”

“Oh, you know me. Hard to kill.” Janel looked around the cave, noting the people present. Her gaze stopped at the blue-haired man. “Why do I know you?”

He swallowed and looked away.

Janel made a face. “You were one of the prisoners I freed.”

The man didn’t deny it. “I just wanted my family back. I’m sorry, I thought—”

“You thought all would be forgiven if you gave us up to the duke,” Janel said. She glared at Wyrga. “You must be loving this.”

“Oh, I am,” Wyrga agreed.

“We should’ve switched to fake names,” Ninavis mused.

Janel said, “Did Tya come back? Where’s Relos Var?”

“He … left,” Senera replied.

“Who fixed the walls?” Xivan Kaen stepped into the cave. She wore full Khorveshan armor and carried the spear Khoreval. She turned back behind her and shouted, “Don’t come in! It’s not safe yet!”

The soldiers straightened and bowed to their duchess as she entered the cavern complex. She must have left the Spurned back in the tunnels. And since Xivan had recognized the cave walls and floors no longer posed a problem, the caves could only be dangerous because of two people: Wyrga and Senera.

“Hello, vampire,” Wyrga said. “I’m not receiving guests, so leave.”

“I plan on leaving,” Xivan said, “but I’m taking your prisoners with me. I don’t trust you not to hurt them, and my husband isn’t thinking. I don’t want him doing anything rash.” She smiled. “I know how well that works out.”

Wyrga sighed. “You don’t have Azhen Kaen’s permission.”

“No, I don’t.”

Wyrga just stared at the woman, lips drawing back from her teeth, fangs showing.