It was true. Raisa’s family treated Han like a rabid dog. It went beyond the usual mistrust of the gifted. It birthed a thousand unanswered questions. Why had they chosen him? Why had they fostered a flatlander in their camps—a flatlander who turned out to be a wizard? Did it have something to do with the royal lineage he claimed?

She really didn’t want to hear more bad news, but she had to know.

“Do you know if my father and grandmother are in the city? We need to have a conversation.”

“I’ll find out,” Amon said. “I’ll arrange a meeting.”

Raisa stared down at her hands, tears stinging her eyes, struggling to keep them at bay.

Amon took her hand in his, but that only made the tears come faster. “I’m sorry, Rai,” he said. “There may be a good explanation for all this, but I just don’t know what it could be.”

She nodded mutely, swallowing hard. Am I just another Hanalea, falling in love with the wrong man? I can’t believe it, she thought. I won’t believe it.

“Do you know where Alister is?” Amon asked, searching her face.

Raisa shook her head. “He hasn’t returned to his rooms in several days.” Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders. “Despite what the Bayars might think, I’m going to get to the bottom of this. And we might as well start now.” She stood. “Let’s talk to Cat. She’s been the connection between Han and Flinn. We need to hear what she has to say.”

“Wait,” Amon said, turning toward the door. “Let me bring in some help before you—”

“I don’t need a bodyguard to speak with my bodyguard,” Raisa said. She dragged open the door to her bedchamber. “Cat?”

There was no response. Raisa scanned the room. The shutters were open, the basilka missing.

Cat Tyburn was gone.

C H A P T E R  T W E N T Y - S E V E N

DEMONAI
DELEGATION

Raisa’s Demonai relatives were not in the city, but were high above the heat of the Vale, at Demonai Camp. Raisa would have liked to have escaped into the mountains, too, for multiple reasons, but the dispute with General Klemath was coming to a head, and she couldn’t afford to be gone for long.

Unwilling to wait for Averill and Elena to return to town, she sent a bird asking them to travel east along the Dyrnnewater. They would meet in the river valley halfway between.

Night Bird and Nightwalker accompanied her, as part of her guard, along with Amon. Raisa wondered what, if anything, he’d told the other Wolves. They had little to say, and Night Bird was her usual quiet self, her eyes constantly scanning the forest.