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I took his silence as a yes.Advertisement

“I want my family around me right now,” I said.

“Then Phaelan’s told you.”

I was instantly wary. “Told me what?”

“Apparently Phaelan’s father was on his way to Mermeia in case the two of you needed to make a quick getaway.”

I grinned crookedly. “That I knew.”

“He also told his father that once he made port in Mermeia and if he hadn’t heard from either Phaelan or you in three days, that he was to sail directly here.” Mychael blew out his breath; it came out as a long-suffering sigh. “If the wind’s good, you’ll have all the family I can handle by sun-down tomorrow.”

“Uncle Ryn’s coming to visit!” I couldn’t keep the excitement out of my voice and I didn’t even try.

“And he’ll stay as long as it takes,” came Phaelan’s voice from behind me. “The paladin here has said there are mages on this island who can help you. Dad and I will be around to ensure that it happens. The quicker it happens, the faster we’ll leave. If the high-and-mighty mages don’t want pirates in their harbor and town, they’d better start looking for some solutions to your problem. The good paladin has agreed to uncloak and unward the Fortune. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a ship if it’s just a big, wooden float.”

I turned to Mychael. “And you approved this?”

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“With the understanding that Ryn Benares is here only as your concerned uncle, not as Commodore Benares.”

I snorted. “And you actually believe that’ll happen?”

“Yes, it will,” said the steely-eyed paladin. “This island isn’t secure—but it will be.”

If it could be done, Mychael would do it; of that I had no doubt.

And he was right—Mid was anything but secure.

Rudra Muralin wasn’t going anywhere. Neither were the Khrynsani unless their lawyers could work some serious legal magic. No one had seen Banan Ryce, but vanishing into the woodwork was what Nightshades did best. Banan didn’t lead by example; he led from behind. At the first whiff of Khrynsani, Banan had probably bolted. No body, no Banan. The Nightshades we found in the embassy basements had been goblin bait, pure and simple. Banan had lost some; he’d just recruit more. There were always plenty of goblin-hating elves to fill his ranks.

Once it became known that Piaras didn’t assassinate the archmagus and that we both had played a big role in rescuing the spellsingers, some of Carnades’s supporters might just switch sides. But the same ones who condemned us one day and congratulated us the next could be back to witch hunting tomorrow.

And some of them would never stop.

My life’s goal was to get rid of the Saghred. Until I could get rid of my link to it, to keep my life, I had to fight for the rock. Meanwhile, the temptation would be there. The danger sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere.

I could live with that.

Like a starved monster crouching in a dark corner, the Saghred was waiting for me to yield to temptation, turn my back, make a mistake, let my guard down.

I smiled. I had some bad news for the rock—and worse news for anyone who tried to take either it or me.

I’m Raine Benares. My guard never comes down. pqdm.com