As she sat, eyes half closed, someone settled next to her on the bench. She knew without opening her eyes who it was, and she released her breath in a long sigh.

“Good afternoon, Raisa,” Elena Demonai said. “May I join you?”

“Good afternoon, Elena Cennestre. Welcome,” Raisa said, using the clan word for Mother. She opened her eyes. “How did you find me?”

“This is a very old place, lytling,” Elena said, her caramel face crinkling into a smile that framed the green eyes of the seer. “It is one of the few places in the Vale with power. You will have need of it.”

Raisa considered this. At Demonai she’d learned not to ask every question that came to mind, knowing some things would be understood in their own time.

“I’m worried, Grandmother,” Raisa said. “The way ahead seems clear enough, but I’m not sure it’s the right way.”

“In the Spirits, we find our way by sun and stars and other landmarks,” Elena said. “They tell us if we are on the right road, and keep us out of trouble. How do you avoid danger in the flatlands?”

Raisa thought a moment. “The same as in the markets. I look for a mismatch—when someone tells me one thing and their eyes and hands and bodies tell me something else.”

“And are you seeing mismatches now?”

“I hear Lord Bayar’s words coming out of my mother’s mouth,” Raisa said bluntly. “She used to speak for herself. And now…I don’t know.”

Elena nodded. “And what else?”

“I feel that a trap is closing around me, and I don’t yet know what it is.” Raisa hesitated. “I saw wolves on Hanalea the day of the fire, but Mama didn’t seem to notice.”

“Wolves,” Elena murmured. “The Gray Wolf line is in danger, and the queen does not see it.” She looked up at Raisa. “Under the Nǽming, the High Wizard is magically bound to the queen. Lord Bayar does not act like a bound wizard. Something is amiss.”

“What can I do?” Raisa asked.

“Would the queen be willing to come to Demonai Camp?” Elena asked. “Could you persuade her?”

Raisa shook her head. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t think so. She’s not very happy with me right now. Every time I try to talk about Lord Bayar, she gets angry.”

“You must continue to try, lytling,” Elena said. “Try to convince her to come to temple at Demonai. And you be wary of the Bayars. The young Bayar is charming and handsome, but keep your distance. Don’t be ensnared.”

“Yes, Grandmother,” Raisa said.

“I have a gift for you,” Elena said. She pulled a deerskin pouch from the pocket of her overtunic and handed it to Raisa.