Loren, Quain and then Sepp copied Kerrick’s actions. When it was my turn, I grabbed the last stone.

I touched Belen’s sleeve. “I’m so sorry about Sayen. I’m sorry I caused such trouble and delayed the trip back here. If I hadn’t, maybe we would have gotten here in time to—”

“Avry, ifs and maybes can’t change the past,” Belen said, covering my hand with his own. “Sayen knew the risk. I wanted her to go with Kerrick while I stayed behind, but she told me to get my lazy fat ass out of her sight.” He smiled at the memory. “Don’t feel guilty, Avry. It’s not your fault.”

Belen might believe it, but I didn’t. My stubborn refusal to heal Ryne could be linked to so many of our current problems. When I placed the stone on Sayen’s grave, I made a promise to her. I would do all I could to rescue and heal Ryne.

After the burial, we packed and prepared for travel. Sepp’s sullen anger burned on my skin whenever he thought I wasn’t looking at him. However, Belen’s fury over the plan was unexpected.

“Did you not see how those…things affected her?” Belen asked Kerrick. He shook with rage. “You can’t just let her—”

“It’s her plan. Besides, she has a slight chance of succeeding,” Kerrick said, keeping calm.

“A slight chance? Let’s break out the champagne.”

Belen’s sarcasm was impressive. I didn’t know he had it in him.

“At what cost, Kerrick? Are you willing to risk her freedom and sanity? You know Tohon will just claim her.”

Claim? That sounded bad. Unease swirled around my heart. Why did I think I could resist Tohon when I had had no willpower before? Perhaps Belen was right.

Kerrick’s expression flattened. He pulled Belen away from us for a private chat. I watched Belen’s face. Whatever Kerrick said mollified him. He still seemed upset, but not as furious as before.

When Kerrick returned, he detailed the route Sepp and I needed to take to Tohon’s, what we should look for and avoid.

“If you can, don’t let Tohon touch you,” Kerrick said to me. “His power is like yours—he needs skin contact for his magic to work.”

My stomach twisted with fear, remembering Tohon’s touch. How I had no control over my emotions. “I don’t think… I… Sepp’s right, I can’t… I’m not—”

Kerrick took my hands in his. His warmth steadied my nerves.

“You’re the most strong-willed person I know. More stubborn than my great-aunt Yasmin, and I didn’t think that was possible. Just pretend Tohon is me. You never listen to me, so you’ll have no trouble ignoring him.”

That surprised a laugh from me. “I’d like to meet your great-aunt Yasmin someday.”

“Well, she’s eighty-nine, so don’t linger too long in Tohon’s castle. Get in and get out. Okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kerrick just shook his head and muttered under his breath as he walked away. I said goodbye to the monkeys. They each gave me a hug.

Belen still wasn’t happy about our plans, but he pulled me aside to say goodbye. “Be careful. Be smart. And be strong. Here.” He handed me an almost perfectly round stone that fit in my palm. Flea’s name had been carved in the stone. “It was one of his juggling rocks. He was searching for three perfect ones as we traveled. When he found this, he marked it as a keeper.” Belen swallowed. “He didn’t have a chance to find any more, so I kept looking for him.” Belen handed me two more stones that closely matched the first. One stone had Loren’s and Quain’s names carved on it. The other had Belen’s and Kerrick’s. “They’re keepers, too. Remember that.”

Grief, guilt and awe churned, tightening my throat. “I will.” The words squeaked out.

“Good. I’ll see you in a few months.” He enveloped me in a hug and joined Kerrick and the others.

I put the gifts in my cloak’s pockets. The extra weight pulling on my shoulders gave me a boost in confidence as Sepp and I headed west.

Normally, the smaller passes would be impossible to navigate at this time of year. However, the dry winter helped, and the official start of spring was only sixteen days away. If we arrived at the Orel Pass too soon and it remained impassable, we’d just have to wait.

Sepp was a horrible traveling companion. He complained about the cold, the steep terrain, the wind and my crazy scheme. When he was supposed to be on watch, I’d wake and find him fast asleep.

Nightmares still disturbed my rest, and I couldn’t shake the image of Tohon’s confidence. My scheme seemed crazier as we drew closer to Tohon’s castle. And I realized that if I was going to prevail, I needed more information about Tohon and life magicians. Perhaps Sepp could help.

The next night, as we shared a meal, I asked Sepp a number of questions.

“Tohon doesn’t have too many weaknesses,” Sepp said, dipping a piece of hard bread into his stew. “He’s cocky and tends to be compulsive. Although he does have a soft spot for a pretty woman, just like Kerrick.”

I almost choked on my food. Not how I would describe Kerrick at all.

Sepp ignored my sputterings and continued. “Magic-wise, Tohon’s probably the most powerful mage living.”

Regaining my composure, I asked, “What about the three magicians that are working for him?”

“His fire mage barely qualifies. All Aidan can do is start small fires and has probably been assigned to keep the hearths warm in the castle. Pov is the strongest. As a rock hound, he could cause a serious earthquake, or—” Sepp gestured to the mountain peaks around us “—start an avalanche, blocking the pass, or bury us alive if he wanted. Ulany’s earth magic could find you the best worms for bait, and the richest soil for crops, but otherwise she’s not useful in a fight.”