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Melodie slid a book out of a leather pouch, worked the paint box into it, although the fit was tight, and drew the drawstring closed. She frowned at the book, then shoved it right at the bottom of the pack, put the pouch on top and then the rest of her things.

She stood, then walked around it, studying it, and finally satisfied, slung it back over her shoulder.

“Her mother?” she said, as if the break in the conversation hadn’t occurred. “The queen?”

Theo lifted his shoulders, but it was the obvious conclusion.

“I knew someone, long ago, who had that magic. She saved my life.” She glanced at him. “No one will ever hear anything from me about this.”

Theo gave a nod, shoved the precious shirt right to the bottom of his own pack and then secured the top so it was completely closed. “We have to go.”

“It can’t be far,” Melodie said, as they started abreast on the path again. “We’ve been walking for at least fifteen minutes.”

She was right. Just ahead, Theo caught a glimpse of roofs, and put out a hand to stop Melodie.

She looked carefully around them, searching for traps, and then they stepped off the path into the forest.

He made sure they moved together, and when the way got harder, he let Melodie go in front.

Eventually they worked their way to the outer edge of the wood that encircled Marchant’s compound, which was set on a little plateau on the side of the hill.

Theo crouched down against a thick tree trunk and Melodie sat down and leaned back against it, facing down the hill, the way they’d come. She pulled out her water flask and drank, then offered it to him.

Theo took a few sips, his gaze on the buildings rising up in front of him.

There were four.

A small cottage, which looked unkempt on the outside, with overgrown flowerbeds below the windows and paint peeling off shutters.

There was a stable, and he could smell horses on the light breeze, and then two other buildings.

One was set a little away from the other three, and whatever it was for, it looked the best maintained.

He was about to ask Melodie to take a look at the area around the buildings for any signs of spell work, when Marchant stepped out of the forest that curved around to the left of where Theo had hunkered down. It looked like he’d come down the hill.

Melodie must have been watching him, because she rose up into a crouch at his reaction and moved right next to him so she could also see Marchant as he walked along the path to the cluster of three buildings.

He moved slowly, stopping twice to catch his breath, and his hand went to his side.

Theo felt a surge of satisfaction. He hadn’t known exactly where he had stabbed Marchant, but he was sure now it was in the side.

Marchant stopped again, but this time it was to move off the path, then stepped back onto it a few steps later, and Theo committed the place he’d avoided to memory.

There would be a nasty trap there, of that he was sure.

He guessed Marchant would go to the cottage, but instead he stepped onto a gravel path that led to the building next to the stables, unlocked it, and stepped inside.

He wondered whether it might be where Marchant was keeping his prisoners, and then Marchant appeared again, pushing someone in front of him.

Viviane. Her dark hair was pulled into a long braid down her back.

Marchant prodded her all the way to the fourth building, and then disappeared inside with her.

The relief Theo felt was immense. She was alive, and looked uninjured. And he knew where she was.

Everything else could be fixed.

While the coast was clear, he rose up and stepped out of the tree line. Melodie came to stand beside him.