The attacker made a grab for his knife with his good hand. I laid a cut across it, and he pulled back, both arms bleeding now.

“Hells take you,” he cursed, and sprinted away.

I turned back to Foss, my hand shaking on my dagger hilt. Venasha had dropped to her knees in a pool of skirts and held him in her lap. She had her own knife out and was slicing up a petticoat.

“Foss! Are you all right?”

“I’ve got him.” Venasha’s voice was flat as a slammed door. “It’s not deep, but I have to bandage this now. Find Aleki! Bring him back!”

“Please,” Foss begged, tears in his eyes. “Hurry.” He pointed off down the path.

I couldn’t say no. I kicked off my high-heeled, pearl-encrusted shoes and ran in the direction he’d pointed.

I followed the path through the copse of trees, past a fountain with carved dolphins, over a rise hemmed with rosebushes, and into the massive, templelike pavilion.

There, between the rows of creamy marble columns, stood a man and a small boy, hand in hand. They stood peaceful and still, a broad smile on the man’s face, and it should have been a friendly and reassuring sight.

Except that the boy was Aleki, who never stood still. His eyes shone glassy and unfocused.

And the man was Prince Ruven.

“Why, hello, Lady Amalia.” Ruven’s smile broadened, as if he were genuinely delighted to see me. “Look who I found. Someone seems to have lost him.”

I faltered to a stop, bloody knife still out, gasping for breath. I couldn’t take my eyes off Ruven’s hand, clasped around Aleki’s. A snake could have been swallowing the boy’s arm and I would have been less afraid for him.

“It’s so fortunate I happened across him.” Ruven pressed his free hand to his breast. “I hate to think what could befall such a young child in the wrong hands. We were just going to find his parents. Weren’t we?”

Aleki nodded, still staring blankly. Fear squeezed my heart. “What have you done to him?”

“Only helped him calm down. He was frightened, poor boy.” Ruven ran the back of a knuckle down Aleki’s round cheek. Aleki didn’t so much as flinch. “Such a lovely boy. So exciting, to watch the mage mark manifest, isn’t it? So much potential, like a bud only beginning to open before you can tell what the flower will be.”

I wanted to lunge across the pavilion and knock his hand away from Aleki’s face. But I didn’t dare make any sudden movements. Ruven might take it into his head to hurt Aleki at any second, or tie his arm in a knot, or something worse.

“What do you want?” My voice was an unsheathed weapon, all point and edge. I couldn’t play his games. Not now.