Page 18

A wave of panic sweeps through me at his words. I don’t think I can do this alone. It occurs to me that most of my life I’ve been alone, though maybe not physically. There was always someone—one of the guardians appointed by Hecate—with me. But only with Khendril, the last, did I finally open up. And that didn’t end well.

However, I’ve learned that I need someone on my side. Someone I know I can trust and right now, Zayne is that person. But I can’t and won’t force him to stay with me. I’m scrambling to think of a response.

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you alone,” he says obviously easily reading my thoughts. “But if we do find that asshole, Khaosti, then I’m rethinking that.”

“What would you do?”

“Maybe go back and work with Killian. I can be a help.”

I nod but can’t get any words past the lump in my throat.

Then Brown opens the door carrying a big tray and the smell of rich, cheesy pizza fills the room. He puts the tray on the table and steps back. “I’ll leave you to your refreshments, but I willreturn in ten minutes, and we can talk. I presume there is a reason you have come.”

“Thanks, Brown.”

We eat the pizza in silence, my appetite undeterred by the mess going on in my head. It issogood. I eat three pieces and then sit back, stuffed, and take a last swallow of beer.

“I like it here,” Josh says as I lean across and wipe tomato sauce from his chin with an embossed linen napkin. “And I like Brown.”

I consider the idea of leaving Josh here with Brown. But I can’t help but think of what happened to the other Brown, the guardian of the safe house on Valandria. He was slain by the shadowguard.

Nowhere is safe.

I’m starting to fidget again by the time Brown comes back. He takes a seat in the leather armchair off to the side and sits with his hands resting on his lap, no doubt waiting for me to say something.

I swallow. “Have you heard from Khaosti recently?” I ask.

He shakes his head and this horrible sense of…powerlessness threatens to choke me. I hate not knowing.

“I have not heard directly from him,” Brown says, and I go still. There’s clearly more. “But I do know where he is.”

I almost jump to my feet. “Where? Where is he?”

“I think that might come better from someone else. I have taken the liberty of informing Khaosti’s cousin, Sheela—who you met on your previous visit—of your presence here.”

Sheela was the healing witch who’d saved Zayne’s life. “But why?”

“Because she came here looking for you and asked me to inform her if you showed up. And because I believe she knows where Khaosti is.”

“But she didn’t tell you?”

“Ms. Sheela does not have a great trust in…my people. I believe her family took refuge in one of the safe houses.”

“Refuge from what?”

“They were being hunted by Khronus.”

“Why?”

“Her mother, Yasmin, was a mirror mage. A law was passed that they all had to register with the Council. Many disappeared. I believe her parents made the decision to look for safe haven on Valandria, but they were betrayed by the warden of the safe house and captured.”

“What happened to them?”

“Her father, Khronos’s brother, was executed. Her mother…vanished.”

“Where was Khaosti through all this?” Zayne asked.

“Not even born. This was many, many years ago.”