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Ber’s throat worked as he turned to face her. “I suppose Toren told you.”

“That’s all you have to say?” She pursed her lips. “Didn’t we agree not to act alone? I trusted you to keep to that.”

“I didn’t think of it as…” His voice trailed off. With a wince, Ber rubbed the back of his neck. “Gods, I suppose I did. But I only wanted to be sure the estate was safe in case we decided to travel here. With T—” His gaze flicked briefly to the guard and the mage. “With so much energy at my disposal, it didn’t seem like a big task.”

Tes took a deep breath and did her best to tamp down her temper. When she’d learned what Ber had done, she’d insisted on accompanying the guards Toren sent, though he’d protested. The desire to throttle her husband for acting without her yet again had overridden anything else.

Perhaps she’d been too hasty, too.

Finally, she examined the two people kneeling patiently, heads bowed, before them. Unlike in Llyalia, such deep obeisance wasn’t required for her people, except in the most formal of situations. It was usually reserved for a king or queen, at that.

“Please, rise,” Tes said. Although both followed the command, they kept their heads dipped low. She frowned. “Are you afraid of me?”

Halueth lifted his gaze at that. “I am not, Your Majesty.”

“If I may be honest, Your Majesty,” the mage began, “Perhaps a little.”

Your Majesty—two more people who’ve skipped over my father to refer to me like a queen.

“Not as much as I am right now,” Ber muttered low.

The guard nearly choked on a snort, and the mage chuckled before stifling the sound with her hand. Although Tes rolled her eyes, she was unexpectedly grateful for the comment. Whether his intention or not, Ber had broken some of the tension, especially for the mage.

Tes did her best to smile. “What is happening here?”

“Halueth and Araxa took care of the assassins awaiting us,” Ber explained.

Then he laid out the rest of the convoluted tale, including how he’d met the pair. It seemed the mage was another recipient of his quiet mercy. Somehow, she wasn’t surprised. Nor was it a shock that Halueth stood with them instead of her father. The guard had always been a loyal and observant man.

“They may be of use,” Tes said when he’d finished.

“Your Majesty?” Araxa asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Illusion is my strongest magical talent, not combat.”

Tes smiled. “And a good illusion can end a fight before it begins or at least offer a valuable distraction. However, in this case, having people on the inside who can help sneak us in while the palace is under attack would be the most valuable of all.”

“Majesty, if there are spies in Llyalia, they will surely see us,” Halueth said.

“That’s true.” Tes nodded toward Araxa. “So perhaps it’s best if the illusions begin now.”

Mehl wouldn’t be happy, but the risk would be worth his displeasure if it simplified the battle in Centoi.

Anything would be worth the liberation of her people.

Chapter 46

Silence

If any of the mages noticed that there were two extra guards walking through the portal behind Ber and Tes, they didn’t dare to mention it. But Ber suspected they wouldn’t pay close enough attention. The mages and the soldiers didn’t precisely have a feud going between them, but they did their best to ignore one another unless they had to work together.

Ber didn’t bother trying to avoid his brother—better to get the confrontation over with. So he dismissed all of the guards except the currently disguised Halueth and Araxa before heading directly to Toren’s study. Tes slid into step beside him without comment, but her boots still snapped against the floor with a lingering hint of anger.

She would no doubt have words with him again.

When they entered the study, Toren was already standing in front of his desk with an expression that could only be described as frigidly furious. The energy—the very air—in the room had chilled with it, but not a hint of the stark emotion passed across their twin connection. His brother had grown more adept at guarding his feelings since they’d started experimenting with transferring magic.

It was a wonder Toren could part his anger-thinned lips. “That was—”

“Foolish,” Ber interrupted. “Ill-advised and counter to our agreement. I’m sorry for that, both to you and to Tes.”