Han struggled to keep from grinning. “And?”

“You shut up, Cuffs Alister,” Cat said. She stalked past him, nose in the air, fluffing out her curls.

“Hey, now, I want to know,” Han persisted. “I mean, last I heard, you hated him. And being as you’re both friends of mine, seems like…”

“If you must know, it’s fine,” Cat said, flopping into a chair, stretching out her legs, and curling her bare toes. Tilting her head back, she looked over at Dancer through slitted eyes. “He’ll do.”

“Glad to hear that’s settled,” Han said. Dancer was right: Han did need to pay more attention to his friends.

“What happened with Abelard and the Bayars?” Dancer asked.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I had the chance to try out the rowan talisman yesterday,” Han said, poking at an enameled bird with his forefinger.

Dancer tilted his head. “And?”

Han told him about what had happened in Aediion.

“So you don’t think Crow has any power of his own?” Dancer said.

Han shook his head. “He just parasites off me. Or any other charmcaster in range. He told me he knew how to drain magic from others. I should have known.”

Dancer drew his brows together. “What is he, then? How did he get there?”

“Well, he’s not just a ghostie out of my imagination, because he scared the devil out of everyone else.” Han chewed his lower lip. “I wonder if there’d be anything helpful in the Bayar Library.”

“I say leave it alone,” Dancer said, sitting sat back down at his worktable. “Tell me you’re never going back there.”

“I’m never going back there,” Han said.

Choosing a bar of silver, Dancer squeezed it in his fist until liquid silver ran out of his hand and into a mold.

“Better not let Blevins catch you doing that up here,” Han said. “If there’s not a rule against it, he’ll make one up.”

“You say that now, but wait until you see what I made for you.” Dancer unfolded a square of chamois. Inside was a cunning replica of the Lone Hunter amulet Elena Cennestre had made for Han—the one he’d loaned to Dancer.

Dancer laid the two amulets side by side on the chamois. They were almost impossible to tell apart.

“That’s amazing,” Han said. “I had no idea you could do work like this. Or that you had the right materials.”

“It doesn’t work that well,” Dancer said, shrugging away the praise. “I’m good on the stonecutting and metalsmithing, but I haven’t mastered the flash part. I wanted to return your amulet, but I guess I need to keep it a while longer.”

“No rush. Keep it.” Han ran his finger over the replica jinxpiece. It flared up a little, but nothing like the original. But it would likely fool any wizard who didn’t touch it.