“The Mizran Councillor,” Kaden interjected quietly. It was one of the highest posts in the empire, and not a military position. Kaden had been surprised, even before the betrayal, when the man arrived with the contingent of Aedolians. Now it was just more evidence, as if he needed more, that the conspiracy had penetrated the most trusted quarters of the Dawn Palace.

“Whatever his job is,” Gwenna replied, “he’s over there, on foot, picking his miserable way out of the mountains. Couldn’t have missed our bird by more than a few hundred paces.”

Valyn sucked air between his teeth. “Well, we knew Tarik Adiv was alive when we didn’t find the body. Now we know where he is. Any sign of Balendin?”

Gwenna shook her head.

“That’s something, at least,” Valyn replied.

“It is?” Laith asked. “No doubt Balendin’s the more dangerous of the two.”

“Why do you say that?” Kaden asked.

Laith stared. “Balendin’s Kettral,” he replied finally, as if that explained everything. “He trained with us. And he’s a leach.”

“Adiv is a leach himself,” Talal pointed out. “That’s how they kept up with Kaden in the mountains, how they tracked him.”

“I thought they used those spider creatures for the tracking,” Laith said.

Talal nodded. “But someone needed to control them, to handle them.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Valyn said. “Right now Balendin’s missing and Adiv is here. Let’s work with what we have.”

“I’ve got eyes on him,” Annick said.

While they were talking, the sniper had moved silently to a concealed spot between two boulders, half drawing her bowstring.

Kaden risked a glance over the ridge. At first he saw nothing, then noticed a figure limping down a shallow drainage three hundred paces off. He couldn’t make out the councillor’s face at that distance but the red coat was unmistakable, the gold at the cuffs and collar badly tarnished but glinting in the midday light.

“He made good time,” Talal observed.

“He’s had a night, a day, another night, and a morning,” Gwenna said scornfully. “It’s not more than seventy miles from where we lost him.”

“As I said,” Talal replied. “Good time.”

“Think he cheated?” Laith asked.

“I think he’s a leach,” Talal said.

“So . . . yes,” the flier concluded, grinning.

“Remind me not to ‘cheat,’ ” Talal replied, fixing the flier with a steady stare, “the next time you’re in a tight place.”

“Take him down?” Annick asked. The bowstring was at her ear now, and though the strain must have been immense, she remained as still as stone.

Kaden glanced over the ridge again. At this distance he could barely make out the blindfold wrapping Adiv’s eyes.

“Isn’t he too far off?”

“No.”

“Take the shot, Annick,” Valyn said, turning to Kaden. “She’ll make it. Don’t ask me how.”