“A Talented. I used to advise King Vämbat in matters of the Well and attempted to do the same for King Mattias.”

“So you’re a king’s lackey.” Hedy snorted. “Why would we help you?”

“He’s not a lackey,” I snapped. “Didn’t you hear him? He’s wanted by the crown . . . like you lot.”

Sven’s eyebrows shot up. I’d never opposed Sven or anyone he supported.

It felt wrong. It felt good.

Bastiaan gave Hedy a small bow. “You’d do better to ask questions before assuming conclusions.”

“Then why does the king want to capture you?” she shot back.

We’d hardly begun the meeting. Surely Hedy and the others could muster enough maturity to converse with respect.

“He believes I assassinated his father, King Vämbat . . . hence the capture of Runt. Leverage.”

“And did you?” Hedy demanded at the same time Kees asked, “How do you propose we get your boy out?” Kees glanced at Sven as he finished with, “That’s the matter at hand, is it not?”

Sven gave a single nod, watching Bastiaan. I had so many questions for him. Did he kill King Vämbat? The kindness he’d shown me would tempt me to believe it impossible, yet I remembered his skill with his throwing weapons. He was a man unshakable. If he wanted something, barriers shrank from him. I imagined even the Trials quaked before him when he took his pilgrimage.

“According to Sven’s vision, Runt is likely being kept in the dungeon.” Bastiaan’s voice grew tight. “Do you have anyone on the inside? At the schloss?”

Sven shook his head. “No one we trust to be loyal to our cause.”

I kept my peace, but my mind whirred. Sven didn’t even consider Anouk. He saw her status as King Mattias’s wife as useless and degrading. Was that his view of marriage or just of Anouk’s choice to marry the king?

“That dungeon is impenetrable,” Kees said. “Short of storming the schloss itself or contacting a Talented with powers that could aid us, there’s no answer I see. Not even if all the militairen were unarmed.” Whatever his Talent was, he didn’t consider it something useful in rescue.

“I can’t endanger the Talented in our camp for a lone man’s dilemma separate from our cause,” Sven said.

“What about those with Banes?” I asked. He kept talking about the Talents and Talented but wasn’t owning up to the fact that he claimed to accept and even approved of Banes.

Bastiaan looked sharply at me. “Banes? What’s this?”

Sven waved it off, but Hedy smiled darkly. “Let’s keep to the matter at hand: We can’t help you.”

“Runt’s predicament is not wholly detached from your cause,” Bastiaan argued. “He knows your location. The king’s dungeon master may very well be trying to pry that information from him as we speak.”