They’d remained in disguise and booked themselves into a room at an inn that was so far on the outskirts of Penraven’s main streets that in Kilt’s opinion it shouldn’t rightly call itself the city’s “Northern Gate Inn.” It would take a guest the better part of a bell to walk to the northern gate proper, which meant the inn was closer to Gormand’s border than to Brighthelm.

“Why here?” Kilt asked, somewhat ungratefully.

“Here is as good as any,” the big man answered, handing him a mug. “Keep drinking. The nausea passed last time because we kept you topped up with lots of water.”

“There is no nausea. I told you, I just felt dizzy momentarily in the presence of the magic. But it passed very swiftly. I think it was shock that undid me.”

“Nevertheless,” Jewd persisted. “Lily always says that water is the best tonic.”

“I can’t imagine what is happening to her.”

“Then don’t try. Whoever that was interrupted for a reason; for now I think we can count on her being alive.”

Kilt looked back at him in disbelief. “Why? How can you make such a dangerously sweeping presumption?”

Jewd sat down opposite Kilt on the other small cot. “Because the timing was too critical for whoever that was to not intentionally be saving her life.”

Kilt grunted his acceptance of Jewd’s logic. “It was a Valisar, I tell you.”

“Then it has to be Leo. It couldn’t have been Loethar—he’s badly injured and the people and Stracker would have recognized him. And you’d be writhing in a gutter.”

“Unless he’s got access to magic. I’m pretty sure I read something at the Academy that said once bonded the Valisar magic doesn’t search out any other aegis. I think that’s right.” He shrugged. “The sickness didn’t linger, Jewd. I recognized it and I think I panicked.”

“Not like you to panic,” Jewd replied.

“I’ve never been under threat of being eaten before.”

“It was a younger voice, Kilt. Loethar speaks softly, his voice low and mellow. This had the pitch of a much younger person, even a squeak in it as though the voice was newly broken. Come on, think clearly now.”

Kilt nodded. “But Leo’s voice is fully broken.”

“Agreed,” Jewd said. “But it sounded more like Leo than Loethar, right? And he knows and cares for Lily, which might explain why she was saved. So she’s safe for now and more to the point, so are you.”

“Still, you didn’t have to insist on us coming this far away,” Kilt said, looking unappreciatively around the room.

“You weren’t making any decisions.”

“I was confused.”

“Same thing! Totally unhelpful, so stop complaining. In any event, we are not going back into the city. Someone may be there who could butcher you and commit you to a living death. I don’t care if it didn’t feel threatening.”

“It didn’t. It actually—”

Jewd ignored the protest. “We don’t risk it. Are we agreed on this?”

Kilt nodded.

“All right, so that leaves us with the choice of heading west, or sitting around in disguise and hoping we can spot Lily heading back.”

“Pathetic options and you know it.”

Jewd ignored him but Kilt noticed the flicker of triumph in his eyes. “Or,” he said, sticking up a second finger, “we can try and learn some more about your situation. We’ve said for a long time that we should take a break and journey to the convent in the foothills of Lo’s Teeth.”

“Well,” Kilt began, exasperated. “I’m really glad you’re in the mood for visiting our old friends the nuns. That’s definitely my favorite heroic alternative, really action-packed.”

Jewd stood and flicked Kilt’s ear in the way they’d admonished each other since childhood.

“Ow! You sod!” Kilt said, rubbing at the side of his head.

“Now you’re just being thick,” Jewd said contemptuously. “And you keep telling me how smart you are. We go to the convent and pay the Qirin a visit.”

“I’ve told you before—”

“Yes you have. But now that won’t wash. We need information, Kilt. We need to know what we’re up against here and whether she has some insight into how we can protect you.”

Kilt scowled. “For protection I’ve got big-fisted you, haven’t I?”

“Me and my fists aren’t enough when we’re up against magic. There are Valisars out there who are hunting you down while we sit here. They want to eat you, Kilt! We can be very sure that Leo will not sit back and lick his wounds now that you got away. And Loethar has nothing to lose by coming after you. We need magical advice on how to outwit those who want your magic.”

Kilt nodded, realizing that Jewd was thinking very clearly. “All right. In the absence of a better idea, let’s go visit the Mother and her girls.”

Jewd’s relief was written all over his face. “Good. I’ve already organized horses. We can leave immediately.”

“I hate it when you assume you know how I’m going to react.”

“Kilt, we’re like an old married couple. We’ve been together for far too long to pretend that we don’t know what the other is thinking.”

“For appearances you could just pretend.”

“Well, now you’re just acting pouty. Do you need me to find you a skirt?” Kilt glared at him in reply. “Come on. We can ride hard and be across Gormand through the night. If we change horses and keep going we can be in the foothills by tomorrow evening.”