“I accept the blame for this,” Lord Demonai went on. “I must confess, I did not see it coming. In fact, Captain Byrne and I were attacked and nearly murdered on our way back from Chalk Cliffs on Raisa ana’Marianna’s name day.”

This was met by another storm of disapproval. Han glanced over at the Demonai warriors. They did not shout and demonstrate with the others, but stood silent and alert and looked more dangerous because of it.

“I cannot believe Her Majesty approved our murders,” Lord Demonai said wryly. “Yet we must not underestimate Lord Bayar’s potential for treachery. They intended to marry the princess heir and young Bayar on her name day, while Captain Byrne and I were—ah—otherwise occupied.” He paused, then added, “Fortunately, Princess Raisa has escaped into exile.”

Han heard shouts of “Thank the Maker!” and “Where is she?” and “Our daughter Raisa should take refuge here, with her family, within the highland camps.”

At this point Elena Demonai stepped forward, her aged face etched with new lines of worry. “My granddaughter is safe for now. We believe it best if she does not stay here with us, but in some more neutral place outside the realm. To hold the princess here, against the queen’s wishes, would be too great a provocation. We hope that there is still a chance to save Marianna. I do not wish to go to war against her.”

The Demonai warriors, Bird included, looked to be more than willing to go to war with the queen. One thing they could agree on. Han despised them all—the queen, the wizards, and the Princess Heir. It was the Queen’s Guard that had burned the stable down, and Mam and Mari with it—likely on orders from the High Wizard. They could all go to the Breaker as far as he was concerned.

“We must, however, be realistic and prepare for what we would rather avoid,” Elena said. “If they’ve found a way to break the magical binding between the High Wizard and the queen, it’s likely that the Bayars hold some magical weapons that were made before the Breaking. We don’t know if they have held them all along or if they recently acquired them.”

Feeling a prickle of unease, Han leaned aside to Bird and asked, “Why is that important?”

“The clan still makes the amulets that are necessary to channel magic,” she said. “But these days they have a limited life span. They must be renewed or replaced by a clan master or matriarch. That gives us some control over the Wizard Council. The amulets made before the Breaking were extremely powerful. Once given, they cannot be taken back. It was a condition of the Nǽming that all such pieces be returned to the clan.”