“You were busy elsewhere, as you recall.” By contrast, he sounded almost meditative. “I had nothing to go by beyond gut instinct. Tea set up a Veiling barrier on leaving Daanoris. I have no access to her thoughts, only assumptions. But even with all the asha in the Willows standing behind me, I doubt they could bring in Tea. She’s different now, Althy. She would sacrifice more in an instant if she had to.”

“Are you suggesting we do nothing?”

“No. I’m suggesting we track sightings of her azi. We need eyes and ears to tell us where the rest of her daeva have gone. Kion was a distraction. Where are the other six? That’s where we must be.” His eyes hardened. “She doesn’t want us in Drycht.”

“For once, I am tempted to agree with her. They don’t call it the desert kingdom for nothing. The only way into the Dry Lands is through the Drycht cities, and we’ll have our hands full there. Even if we are successful, the trek to reach the Ring of Worship will kill our soldiers. I trust you, Fox, but you will forgive me when I say few people have reason to when your sister is involved.”

“We’ll figure that out when the time comes,” Princess Inessa broke in. “Our army is to meet up with Kance in the Hollow Mountains, where he believes Aadil has taken up defenses. From there, only a sea voyage separates us from Drycht. And you know as well as I that the elder asha would have let Fox languish in prison with or without the Veiling. He saved me, and he saved my mother and Hestia. That was what convinced them of his loyalty. If Tea is postponing her quest for shadowglass to hunt down Druj, we have time. We must find him before she does, and it is possible he is still with Aadil.”

The asha scowled. “Very well. We will send scouts for the other daeva. We have far too much to do to argue about a moment long passed. The Yadoshans offer their support, and we are running out of room to house visitors. As for Kance, the King of Odalia is not in his kingdom. The boy has gone off with his army again, and we know how that turned out last time. I am still disappointed in you, Fox. Do not presume that I would have turned down the chance to talk to Tea myself.” Her tone grew mellower, wistful. “I helped raise her too.”

“Your Highness and Empress Alyx were in danger?” I asked the princess quietly after Lady Altaecia had bustled away to address some new concern.