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“Deni, did I hear you outside my—?” Taira was suddenly in the doorway, and she gave a gasp as the sight of Ava.

Before she could say anything, Deni yanked her into the room and slammed the door shut, putting a finger to his lips.

“Avasu.” Taira’s whisper wobbled with emotion.

Ava hugged her, and felt her eyes sting again.

This was clearly a day for tears.

“How long have you been in Illoa?” Deni asked when they finally pulled back a little.

“About an hour?” Ava lifted her shoulders. “We got here just before dusk.”

“We?” Taira was still holding her arms, and her grip tightened.

“It’s a long story.”

Deni pulled a chair out for her to sit on, and she lowered herself down.

“Let’s hear it. And we have news, ourselves.”

She could see from the way Deni said it, the news wasn’t good, but right now, in the company of friends, she felt they could overcome anything.

* * *

“Those bastards.”Deni stared at her, then crouched down, lifting a hand to her cheek. “I thought you looked gaunt. You’re saying that magical rope sucked your life force? That they could literally see through you?”

She nodded. She had considered downplaying her weakness, but that wasn’t fair to either of them. They needed to know she was not as capable as she was before. That she was still a long way from full strength.

“Avasu, I’m so sorry we didn’t find you sooner.” Taira crouched on her other side. “You definitely destroyed the rope?” She looked stricken that such a thing could exist, and even when Ava nodded, she still looked frightened at the thought.

“It was my decision not to take the back trail, and my mistake.” Deni shook his head in dismay. “We would have found you sooner if I had.”

“No.” Ava put her hands on each of their shoulders. “You made the best choices you could, and here we are, together. How long have you been waiting in Illoa?”

“Only a day and a half,” Deni admitted. “We got here early morning yesterday. I’ve been watching the bridge to see who was coming and going, and Taira spent her time talking to the locals, trying to get news or find out if you’d come through earlier.”

“That’s how we found out that the Jatan have been attacking villages in Cervantes. Someone who’d just been in Ta-lin was in the tavern last night. They were passing through Cervantes for Illoa, and that’s all anyone in Ta-lin is talking about. Luc, Massi and Revek fought a battle a little to the south of the capital and captured a Jatan force. Word is they’re marching them to the Jatan border for an exchange. Compensation for the attacks in return for the prisoners.”

“How far are we from where they’re having this exchange?” Ava’s heart lifted. To be able to meet up with Luc . . .

She felt a prick of conscience at the thought that Tomas and Velda were still in a prison somewhere in Grimwalt. That she had yet to do a thing about rescuing them.

Still, crossing into Grimwalt now, by herself, with no official power behind her . . . that was a good way to get caught by the Speaker, rather than rescue her friends.

“It’s about half a day’s ride. And if we go that way, we will probably meet up with Oscar, Tras and Carrie. They took the northern route when the road split.” Deni looked down at the ground, then back up at her. “But if I were being logical, I’d say we need to head for Fernwell now. General Ru has had nearly two weeks of trying to hide the fact that the queen of Kassia is gone. She’ll be under huge strain keeping up the facade.”

She had been so tired, so worn down, she’d barely given a thought to what consequences her disappearance would have caused for the general and the council of Kassia. They had been in the middle of delicate negotiations. That would have stopped, and General Ru would have had to come up with a believable lie as to why Ava was no longer able to attend to her duties.

“You’re right.” But she didn’t want him to be. This was when duty and honor had to come before personal wishes. It was hard, though.

Very hard.

And even so, she wanted to find a way to go to Luc.

“You say you expect the Grimwaldians are waiting for the man who took you in Fernwell to come through here, though? That they’re watching for you?” Taira looked up at her.

Ava nodded.