“I guessed it was on Hanalea Peak—which was why wizards were forbidden to go there. I found the tunnel entrance on Hanalea, but I didn’t find the armory.”

And then it came to Han—what Gavan Bayar was doing on Hanalea the day he’d attacked Willo. He must have come up through the tunnels, and so avoided the Demonai patrols.

The armory lay in the direction of Hanalea. If Han led the Bayars that way, he might lose them in the fumarole, or boil them in a hot spring. It was a small chance, but it was something.

“All right,” Han said. “Take me back to where we started. I’ll lead you on from there.”

They walked through the Bayars’ private tunnel to a brass-bound wooden door, wrapped in jinxes. Lord Bayar ripped them away with the ease of long practice. They passed through, and Bayar applied charms of concealment so that the door blended into the stone wall of the main corridor.

“Look out,” Han said. “I’m going to touch my amulet now.” Closing his hand over the serpent amulet, he whispered a pretend charm and peered into its depths, wishing there really were a map in there to follow. Wishing Crow were still here to serve as guide.

“All right,” he said, wrinkling his brow. “It’s this way, I think.”

“You go first,” Lord Bayar said.

Han released his amulet and took the lead, wary of making any sudden moves that would startle Fiona into flaming him.

Yes. Han sighed in relief as he began recognizing landmarks from before. It was the right way. Methodically, he used his amulet to disable barriers and traps. Lord Bayar would know where they were—he’d put some of them in place. Han touched his amulet often, each time speaking the warning, hoping the Bayars would grow impatient and careless.

Han walked past the turnoff to the armory, concealed behind its wall of magic.

“Alister,” Bayar said sharply.

Fiona jerked Han around, reeling him in close, while Han tried not to scream out from the pain in his wrists.

“Did you, perhaps, miss a turn?” Bayar said.

Han met Bayar’s cold blue eyes. “I thought this was the right way. Let me look again. I’m going to touch my amulet now.” Cradling his amulet between his hands, he gazed at it squint-eyed. “Oh. You’re right. There is a turn here. Good you caught that.”

“Mislead us again, and we will end this farce right here,” Bayar said. “We will go back to Aerie House, where I will kill you as slowly and painfully as I know how. Do you understand?”

Bones, Han thought. How much does he know? How close has he come in the past?

Han used the Waterlow amulet to strip away a magical overlay, which revealed a stout wooden door. He unlatched it and pulled it open. Then stopped short, swearing under his breath.