"Jonn," Aldric interrupted. "That's the murdered trouper?"
Tal kept his face carefully composed. "Yes. All that happened before my arrival and since was orchestrated by the one pretending to be your Court Bard."
Slowly, the full implications seemed to dawn on Aldric. "Sunstring... He could have murdered me."
Indeed, Tal thought. A shame he didn't do me the favor.
"But we didn't discover him in time," he said aloud. "He possessed Garin and warded him long enough for the youth to stab Kaleras, then fled. As you no doubt heard."
"Half the castle heard," Aelyn observed with a sharp smile. "And all will know by now."
"Even those damned Sendeshi didn't miss it." The King took a long swallow from his wine, then glared at Tal again. "Well? What are you still doing here? Go clean up your mess!"
Tal watched him for a moment. "You're assuming I know where to go," he said quietly.
Aldric flushed, then took another quick drink of wine before thrusting the goblet toward him, spilling wine on the carpet that no doubt cost the yearly wages of a score of masons. "You'd damned well better, Harrenfel. We made a bargain, you and I. Don't forget its terms."
"Fortunately for both of us, the Extinguished was gracious enough to tell me where he would wait. I'm sure you've heard of it — the Ruins of Erlodan."
The King snorted, his usual blustering attitude recovered. "That haunted old derelict? It's over a week's hard ride away. Best be on your way."
"It's a trap, Aldric. He wouldn't tell me if he didn't want me to come. And he knew I would."
Why? he asked himself. Why lure me out? Simply to kill me? He could have done it a dozen times over if he'd wished to. There was a different game at play here, and he had his suspicions he already knew the players' aims.
Aldric waved a lazy hand. "Either he'll take care of you or I will. At least you'll stand a chance against the Soulstealer."
Only a king would be so bold as to threaten with no protection. Aloud, he said, "I'd stand a better chance if you sent soldiers to accompany us. With the Extinguished expecting us, he'll no doubt summon a welcoming party. A contingent of thirty should be enough to deal with them."
The King was shaking his head before Tal had finished. "Send soldiers on this fool's errand? Do you take me for an imbecile? No, Harrenfel — this is your mess to clean up. And you'll do it without my help."
Tal only stared at him for a long moment. Even knowing Aldric Rexall the Fourth as he did, he hadn't expected this. But I should have. I suspected; now, I know.
He turned away, hoping he'd hidden all that simmered beneath his skin. "Fine. I'll return before the next full moon for the boy's reward."
Aldric laughed at his back. "I look forward to it, Magebutcher!"
"You'd have to be a Night-blinded fool to follow him there," Aelyn commented from his seat, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Tal didn't respond. He lifted his gaze slightly to glance at Garin, who leaned, pale-faced, against the opposite wall. The youth had barely spoken a full sentence since they'd brought Kaleras up to his tower. And who could fault him when he's the cause of the warlock's condition?
He should have seen it coming, all of it, ever since Garin touched the pendant. He'd seen the signs. But neither he nor Aelyn had believed the Night's influence could linger so long after that brief exposure.
Kaleras paid the price of their arrogance.
"He's probably dead anyway," Aelyn continued mercilessly. Despite his fragile state, his mood was buoyant and soaring higher as his companions sunk deeper into misery.
"He's not!" Wren's shout echoed up the tower as she stood, tight-fisted and trembling, before the mage. "My father's alive! And if you're too coward to rescue him, I will!"
"Calm, lass," Tal murmured. "The King's physician attends the warlock above, and I doubt shouting will improve his health." Not that the bastard deserves a peaceful rest. But even as he thought the words, he couldn't put his heart into them.
"Calm? How can I be calm? The Soulstealer took my father's face! All these months, it's been that thing, not him, that I—" She cut off, tears gleaming in her eyes. "I'll kill him. I'll kill him for this."
"He's already dead." The harshness in Tal's voice surprised him, as did the bitter smile that sprang to his lips. "It's time you face that."
"He's not!" Wren snarled back. "You said so yourself that the Extinguished had to keep him alive for the illusion—"
"But he doesn't need him anymore. If he's not dead yet, he will be before long. That Night-damned warlock has him, and we can't recover him." He held her gaze, unable to help his mocking smile. "Better to think him dead already."
"How can you say that?" She glared at him, the tendrils of gold in her swirling furiously. "After all he's done for you?"
His smile slipped away. "Done for me? I'll tell you what he's done for me. He's made me a lie — my entire life, a lie. And all for his own gain."
Before anyone could respond, he crossed the tower room to the door. "I need to clear my head," Tal said, then stepped outside the tower.
As the door closed behind him, Garin exchanged a look with Wren, then Aelyn. No one spoke — and what was there to say?
Without Tal, we can't do this. He knew it was true, and he knew the others knew it, too. Aelyn's lips were twisted in a sour pucker as he stared at the wall, his fingers twitching. Wren began to pace, a scowl written across her pixie features.
It was up to him to fix this, Garin realized. After all, he'd been the one to break everything. He'd stabbed Kaleras. Though it had been the Nightvoice that had commanded his limbs, it had been his hand to do it, his will that had been too weak to stop. And it had been his stubborn insistence on entering the Ruins of Erlodan that had landed him under the Night's influence in the first place. Without it, they might have had another powerful warlock on their side, and Tal might still be there with them.
He watched Wren pace back and forth, back and forth. He'd failed her once; he couldn't fail her again. He had to make this right.
"I'm going after him," he said and turned toward the door.
"Why? What could you say?" Wren shot at his back.
Garin shrugged. "I don't know. But I have to try."
He pulled open the heavy door and slipped through.
Tal stood in the hallway just outside, staring out the windows at the darkness outside. His face could have been carved of stone for all it shifted at Garin's approach.
Stepping up next to him, they stood in silence for a moment. Garin looked anywhere but at Tal. Though he'd known he had to come after his one-time mentor, he didn't know what to say. But Garin had done them all wrong. He couldn't let it fall apart now.
Then a thought struck him.
"Follow me," Garin said softly, then set off down the hall. Glancing back, he found Tal following. Part of him is still with us, he thought, and hoped it would be enough.