“If you ever harm Kance,” I said coldly, “I will kill you slowly, and you will relive that nightmare in your head over and over until I snuff out your life as easily as a candle’s flame. Your suffering will last a hundred thousand sunsets.” I strengthened the wards, ensuring that not even a meditation rune could cross the barrier. “Take him away and do what you want to him. I have all the information I need.”

“Remind me never to anger the good asha,” Lord Stefan said as I stalked away.

“You haven’t looked at me since this morning,” Kalen observed as he caught up to me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, my head down.

“Was it because of last night?”

Of course it was about last night! I had drunkenly announced my ardent love for Kalen to anyone who would listen, then pledged to exchange heartsglass while also threatening everyone at the same time. And that was right after a fight about returning to Kion. My cheeks colored. I’d asked him to marry me! “No,” I mumbled.

Kalen stared straight ahead. “When the worst of this is over and we find the culprits responsible, I wouldn’t mind.”

“Mind what?”

“Exchanging heartsglass.” Then he strode away, leaving me stunned.

By the time I caught up with Kalen, he was with Likh and Khalad in the now-empty great hall. Likh was bent over a cup of tea, breathing in the aroma. He looked as bad as I felt, though I suspected he was worse off. He had refused to relinquish the runic wards in light of recent news. The Heartforger had taken off his spectacles, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“The Drychta thinks the First Harvest is in Mithra’s Wall,” I announced, and both turned to me. “Aadil’s army managed to sneak past the southern kingdoms, and they now occupy the range. Kance’s army is there, trying to head them off. We must help them. From what the spy says, it seems Aadil is well aware of the shadowglass spell, and that Druj has allied himself with them.”

“I thought Lord Garindor said that the First Harvest was in the Ring of Worship?” Khalad asked.

“He said he thinks it’s there. But if Druj thinks it’s at Mithra’s Wall, we can’t risk not investigating.”

Likh started to rise, then flinched when a ray of sunlight from a nearby window glanced across his face and sat back down. “Right now?” he asked weakly.

“We’re leaving, but you aren’t. Don’t argue with me on this, Likh. It’s too risky for you, and you know it. There’ll be Faceless there, and I have no doubt Druj will be in those mountains. If he’s anything like Aenah or Usij, he’ll find some way around the wards.”

“Okay,” the asha said meekly.