“We’ll just have to wait to hear from the Vale,” Willo said. Raisa could feel the power in Willo’s hands soothing her, making her sleepy. “It should be soon.”

Raisa closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, trying to relax under Willo’s hands. But new questions kept bubbling up as she sorted out what she did and didn’t know. “How…how did I get here? I was wounded, and they were coming for me, and—I don’t remember.”

“Hunts Alone brought you here,” Willo said.

Raisa searched her memory. “Hunts Alone? Who’s that?”

“Well.” Willo hesitated. “Perhaps you know him by his Vale name—Hanson Alister.”

It hadn’t been a dream, then. Han Alister had come to her in the middle of the Spirit Mountains. Han Alister had saved her life.

How did all of these people get tangled up together?

“Briar Rose?” Willo prompted, when Raisa didn’t say anything.

“Why would Han Alister have a clan name?” Raisa blurted. “He’s Valeborn and a wizard besides.”

Elena cleared her throat. “I did not realize that you two had met.” She didn’t sound happy that they had. “He seemed confused—or maybe delirious. He called you Rebecca.”

“I went by that name in Oden’s Ford,” Raisa said. “We were in school together there. He didn’t know who I really was.”

But now he would find out. He probably already knew.

Raisa’s stomach clenched miserably. She’d wanted to tell him herself—to explain. She didn’t want him to hear it from somebody else.

Elena leaned forward, fingering her Demonai amulet. “Was Hunts Alone one of those who attacked you?”

“Why would he attack me?” Raisa asked irritably.

“No one thinks Hunts Alone attacked the princess heir except you and Nightwalker,” Willo said, scowling at Elena. “Sit up, Your Highness.”

Willo helped her sit up again. Raisa felt as weak as a day-old kitten.

“The jinxflinger had my granddaughter’s talisman ring in his possession,” Elena said defensively. “And Hanalea’s Sword, and the ring that belonged to Captain Byrne.” She turned to Raisa, as if looking for allies. “And we still don’t know how Hunts Al…how Alister came to find you.”

“However he found her, Hunts Alone saved her life,” Willo said, reordering Raisa’s hair with her fingers. “He had to remove the talisman ring in order to do it.”

Raisa wasn’t following this conversation at all. “But there were eight of them,” she blurted out. “Eight men attacking me. What happened to them? How did he get me away from them? Did they leave me for dead or…”

“We just don’t know,” Elena said, sliding a look at Willo. “That’s just it—everyone is dead, and there are too many unanswered questions.”

“Well, what does Han—what does Alister say about it?” Raisa asked impatiently. It was like the two matriarchs were being confusing on purpose.