Roze smiled. You’ll have to figure that out on your own.

Are you trying to tell me I have a spy in my midst?

Dishonest people tend to find each other, Yelena. It’s the price you pay for associating with the criminal element. Frankly, I was surprised the Council hadn’t given me permission to neutralize you before. After all, how can they trust the heart mate of the most feared man in Sitia? Think about it. How could you be a Liaison when it’s obvious where your loyalties lie? First sign of trouble and you’re running for home. I will tell you one thing. You won’t be safe in Ixia.

I didn’t say anything, but she laughed. I have found what I needed. Good luck trying to put the pieces of Marrok’s mind back together.

She faded from his consciousness. Standing in the middle of the destruction she had left behind, I knew restoring order would be an impossible task. I returned to my body. There was nothing I could do.

Roze had the Council’s support against me. If I hadn’t known any better, the web of lies Cahil spun made complete sense. Roze even made sense. If she was as dedicated to Sitia as she claimed, then her efforts to discredit me were valid. Why trust me? I’m a Soulfinder, the one type of magician with an evil history. It would take a major effort and physical evidence to counter Cahil now.

“Moon Man, how did you find us?” I asked.

“Logic. I knew you would go to Ixia and I knew you would not cross the Avibian Plains in order to go around Featherstone lands. So that left west. Tauno found your trail in the Krystal lands.”

It was too much of a coincidence. “But Leif saw you disappear into the fire. And what about Marrok and the horses? How did you get them?” He had help and must have been sent by Cahil or Roze. Moon Man worked for them now.

“Gede pulled me from the fire. Marrok had been dumped in the infirmary and left unguarded. The horses came when we needed them.”

It still sounded too easy. “Why did Gede insist I go into the fire?”

“You will have to ask him. He is your Story Weaver now. I can not guide you.” His tone held sadness.

“Why did you go into the fire, Moon Man?” Leif asked.

“Gede is the only surviving leader of my clan. I follow his orders.”

“Even when your life’s at stake?”

“Yes. Loyalty to one’s clan comes before personal safety.”

“Like being bait for a necklace snake?” Leif gazed at me.

“Exactly,” Moon Man said.

“Can your man walk?” Captain Nytik asked. He had been standing nearby, watching us with distaste creasing his forehead. “We need to get moving.”

Marrok couldn’t walk, but he could ride. Kiki and Topaz’s heads were together. I connected to Topaz, and asked, Go home? Miss Peppermint Man?

No. Stay.

Why? Topaz had been with Cahil for a long time.

Bad smell. Blood.

I turned to the captain. “He’ll sit on his horse.”

With the lieutenant in the lead, Moon Man, Leif, Tauno and I followed. The captain and his remaining soldiers formed a rear guard. We traveled north through the Snake Forest . On a map, the forest resembled a thin rope of green that undulated along the entire east-west border from the Jade Sea to the Emerald Mountains . After a half day of travel, we arrived at a guard station and barracks.

Another round of explanations had to be endured before we could care for the horses and eat lunch. We sat in the middle of the guard house’s dining area surrounded by fifty suspicious soldiers who shot us hard glances between bites of food. Moon Man guided Marrok with a gentle patience. Basic skills like eating and caring for himself would all have to be relearned.

During our cold meal of venison jerky and bread, I explained to my companions about Ixia’s uniform system. “Everyone who lives in Ixia must wear a uniform. The standard colors for the shirts, pants and skirts are black and white, but each Military District has its own color. We’re in MD-7, which is governed by General Rasmussen, who reports to the Commander. Rasmussen’s color is yellow and you’ll see a line of yellow diamond shapes somewhere on the uniforms.” I gestured to the guards around us. Their uniforms matched the captain’s, but the rank insignia on their collars were different. “A cook’s uniform is all white with diamonds printed side by side across the shirt. The color of the diamonds tells you which district the cook works in. Red is the Commander’s color.”

“Who’s that?” Leif pointed to woman heading our way. She wore all black, but had two red diamonds stitched onto her collar. Her blond hair was pulled into a tidy bun. She held two bows in her hands.

“She’s an adviser to the Commander.” I stood and grinned.

She tossed me my bow. I caught it. The noise in the room ceased the instant it hit my hand.

“Okay, Puker, let’s see if you’ve been practicing,” she said with an exultant yet predatory glint in her eyes.

“Adviser Maren, didn’t your mother teach you it’s not nice to call people names?” I hefted my bow. “Especially not armed people.”

She waved away my comment. “We’ll deal with the niceties later. Stuck in this backwoods, I haven’t had a decent bow fight in a long time. Come on!” She beckoned me to follow as she threaded her way through the dining room.

“Should we be worried?” Leif asked.

“She taught me all her tricks, but I’ve learned a few new ones since our last fight. This should be…interesting.”