Light spilled into the enclosure as the wooden door rattled open. I twisted standing in the center of the aisle lantern swinging like a beacon in my hand.

I sat in the chamber listening to the dull roar of the crowd, obscured by the thick stone walls of the keep. The cacophony ebbed and flowed as some unseen herald whipped the crowd into the appropriate frenzy.

Thedrilath sat back steepling his fingers, regarding the papers strewn across the table. The answer was there. He knew it. He just couldn’t see it. Yet.

They’d found us. I’d failed. Kadech grinned as his men surrounded us. No, this couldn’t end in a hole bar. I glanced at Drake beside me. She shrugged back waving the torch she carried vaguely and with no effect on the approaching men. “Surrender,” Kadech said.

“Teresa!” I twisted looking behind me to the caller. Cassie stood below her hand raised as she shielded her eyes against the light. Between her and me was a wall of shrubbery. She wouldn’t be able to see me yet and I wasn’t going to call back.

The wind whipped around me as I stared at the path. Where was the girl? “Can we still wait?” Sevela asked beside me. Stars. If that girl couldn’t read minds. I looked at her and the rest gathered about the grave. They clumped in groups away from the coffin.

Nadie clutched her bag’s strap tightly as she stood at the end of the platform. The train belched steam as it disappeared around the bend ahead. She’d missed it. A thin layer of water covered the tracks.

Jade needed kicking when I caught up with her. At least normal fortunetellers used crystal balls. Reflections, refractions, whatever. Those were at least interesting to look at. This was . . . what was this? Obsidian? “Stare into my ball,” the woman said.

Rain pelted my face as I examined the clouds. “The sun’s up there somewhere,” Criawan said hiding under her own cloaks hood. I grunted my response.

I hated sullen days, and this trip had seen its share, but we were winding our way down the switchbacks to Dweranad.