‘I’m rather counting on it. If he refuses us, he’ll be in breach of another sacred tradition. It will be a perfect time for you to step in and remove him. Replace Yadavendra as High Lord, and you can cancel Rochant’s rebirth ceremony before it happens, and you can use his Godpiece to restore your mother.’ Pari tapped his chest plate again. ‘What is it? What aren’t you telling me? I was expecting you to cheer up, or look relieved, but you look as if someone just smoked your last bit of Tack.’

‘That isn’t funny.’

‘Don’t avoid the question.’

Vasin looked up to the sky for guidance. Even when I’m sober, she’s two steps ahead of me. ‘Lady Yadva knows our people murdered Lord Rochant’s descendants and kidnapped him. When we take down Yadavendra, she wants me to support her as the new high lord. If I don’t, she’ll expose me to the others and see me destroyed.’

To his surprise, Pari chuckled. ‘Oh really? And how does she know what you did?’

‘She tortured the information out of Rochant’s guard captain, the one mother turned.’

‘Ah yes, Captain Dil. I knew him when he was boy. Such a shame. And this was, how long ago?’

‘Around the time I last saw you. Does it matter?’

‘Think about it. If she exposes you now, she also exposes the fact that she knew about this for sixteen years and did nothing. It’s hardly the behaviour of a loyal servant of House Sapphire.’

Was it that easy? He couldn’t believe it. It also occurred to him that this could be a warning. He knew things about Pari that would damn her, and yet he had sat on the information for just as long. Perhaps that was her point. ‘Are you saying that it doesn’t matter that she knows?’

‘No, but I am saying that she can’t use it in a public move. She could use it privately to discredit you, I suppose, but again, she risks making herself look bad if she does so. Lady Yadva is many things, but cunning she is not, which is why you cannot let her succeed her father as High Lord.’

‘I’m not exactly cunning either.’

She gave him a knowing smile. ‘No, but you can listen, and that means you can learn.’

Somehow, when Pari talked about things, they made sense. She makes it sound so simple! He knew from bitter experience that it would not be simple when his family next convened. ‘There’s another problem.’

‘Another one?’ She tutted. ‘Honestly, I slip between lives for a decade and a half and the whole world falls apart.’

‘I’d like the chance to listen to more of your wisdom, if I may.’

‘Flattery will get you everywhere. Go on.’