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And she wouldn’t need black for the rope, although she didn’t know if they chose the color to make it all but invisible in the darkness or because the spell caster had to work in black.

Even as he turned to run, Vane swung his stick at her head.

She dived forward, avoiding the strike and tackling him around the waist as he tried to follow his friend.

His shout brought his companion running back, and Vane struck out at her with an elbow to her face.

She managed to turn her head in time but it loosened her hold on him, and then he was gone.

“What’s happening?” Catja was suddenly beside her, and then the general, in some flowing garments she took to be their leader’s silk pyjamas.

“The unfriendly eyes.” She pointed in the direction they had run and then flopped back down.

“Are you hurt?” General Ru crouched beside her as Catja called to a few others and ran in the direction she had pointed.

Ava shook her head. “No. But I feel . . .” Suddenly, it was as if a weight had lifted off her, and the general crouched over her with her knife extended, a thin piece of rope hanging from it.

“It was over your shoulder,” the general said. She brought the knife closer and looked at the short rope with interest.

“They also used rope to create an area of silence, so no one could hear us.”

“Is that so?”

Ava sat up and looked carefully at the rope. Like the one they’d use for silence, this one was also black, although much finer.

“This could come in useful.” The general seemed pleased. “Did you recognize them?”

“I recognized their voices but only one of their faces.” She frowned. She was sure she wasn’t mistaken.

“They would have had to have a way to change their faces if they wanted to keep you from finding them. Especially being around you every day.”

The general spoke so casually of changing appearances, but Ava hadn’t heard that was possible. “How would they do that?”

“I’ve heard of one person who could do that. But that was many years ago.”

“Where is that spell caster from?”

“Grimwalt.” The general smiled. “As so many of you are.”

“Being in Grimwalt is what keeps us safe.” Ava had heard that saying many times in her childhood. Now she wondered if it had ever been true, or whether it was only the rise of the new Speaker that meant spell casters had to be wary in what was once their safe haven.

And it had never been true for her mother. She needed to remember that.

“I’ve heard that said.” The general rose up and offered Ava a hand up, keeping the rope balanced on her knife and away from both of them.

“They meant to use this on me to keep me weak so they could carry me away.” Ava reached out to touch it, felt the bite on her fingers as the magic tried to grab her, and pulled her hand away, shaking it as if burned.

“They were fools if they thought they could get even half a mile away before your lover chased them down.” The general turned, and as she did, Luc loomed suddenly out of the darkness, moving with that silent, deadly focus she had seen more than once.

The general went still, and Ava was impressed she hadn’t flinched as he appeared.

She was right, though.

Vane and his friend would not have lasted ten minutes.

“Ava.” He pulled her toward him, and she lifted a hand to his face.

“I’m fine.”