The Warden

Chapter 35

Masis just kept laughing.

He did learn something, the insolent whelp, thought Kyla, begrudgingly. Thank Werold and Wilo for that.

As his fit of laughter faded, Masis fell to his back, his silly grin still plastered across his face. His breathing settled with a large sigh.

"Yes, yes," said Kyla. "All very amusing, but I have one question to put to you."

"And what is that?" asked Masis, his earlier levity still present.

"Why did you bring us back here?"

"What do you mean?" asked Masis, propping himself up on his elbows, his brow lowering with a confused weight.

"Exactly what I asked. Why did you bring us back here?"

Masis sat up. "I brought us back here because this is our camp. Where else should I have brought us? I made sure we weren't followed. And I laid a few false trails that would have kept even you busy for at least a day or two, so where else was I supposed to have gone?"

Kyla closed her eyes and shook her head. Use that mind of yours. The one I know you have.

"What did we learn last night?" asked Kyla, opening her eyes and clasping her hands.

Masis stood, his face pinched. "About what?"

Kyla held her breath, a tremor traveled along her jaw. "Everything."

Masis' mouth hung open for a moment, his lower jaw rocked from side to side. "I learned how to become the Warden."

"Wrong," said Kyla. "You are the Warden, even now. But last night you didn't even choose to shift into your wolvan form. Manu and the mesmer forced you to. Did you even shift back into your human form or did it just happen in your sleep?"

"In my sleep," muttered Masis, but spoke again quickly. "I learned how to purge mesmer."

"Yes," said Kyla, "but very obvious."

She crossed her arms, waiting. Think, Domrae. Think.

"The nightlings..." Masis paused, gauging Kyla's reaction.

She cocked an eyebrow. Using his mindeye no doubt.

He might as well practice on her, if he was going to survive for much longer.

"The wights were going to take us to the night queen," said Masis, every word a hesitation.

"And?" asked Kyla, raising her eyebrows innocently. "Anything else?"

"No?" A question not a statement. Masis rubbed his hands before them, his once triumphant manner teetering into defeat.

Kyla waited. The stink of sweat wafted into her nose, no doubt from Masis fumbling hands. "Which way was that wightie headed before she tossed me aside like a bag of rotten vegetables?"

"Toward the sea," said Masis. His face twitched with realization. "Toward the capital actually."

This isn't that hard, Domrae. Kyla nodded, clenching her teeth. "And that tells you what?"

"That she-wight was taking you toward the wight queen to lure me there." He paused and looked directly up at Kyla. "She's near the capital. But why would she be there? We've always thought her to be in northern Haimlant, beyond the Great Divide."

"I don't know," said Kyla, admitting her ignorance. "But for whatever reason, you can be sure that it's not a good thing."

Masis eyes flicked to his bag. "We're leaving, aren't we?"