"You were in shock from seeing your parents killed. You saw what you wanted to see.”

"And how do you explain the second appearance, three months ago when he appeared in my own gardens, the night of Talisa and Colum's prenuptial dinner?" Lord Barrial retorted. "It was definitely vel Serranis. He walked through the wards around my keep as if they weren't there, and he was real enough to make even my dahl'reisen nervous." Lord Barrial leaned forward, his brown eyes narrowing. "Do you have any idea, Morvel, what it takes to make a dahl'reisen nervous?”

"Bah," Lord Morvel snorted. "They're probably in on it too—same as they're probably behind all this killing that's been going on. They can charge a much higher fee for their services by keeping Celierian fears alive.”

Ellie glanced at Rain. Did Lord Morvel not care who was sitting beside him? But Rain raised his goblet and drank a deep draught of pinalle as if the border lord's insulting remark rolled right off him.

«The dahl'reisen are beyond the honor of the Fey, shei'tani.» he told her silently. They are capable of much that the warriors of the Fading Lands would find abhorrent.”

Despite his mild words, she could sense the curl of anger tightening within him. The men Morvel discussed so contemptuously were people Rain would have known, perhaps even loved. Dahl'reisen or not, she knew he did not like to hear them disparaged.

Lord Morvel continued in the same oblivious, insulting vein. "Your visitor was probably just another dahl'reisen cloaked in Spirit to make him look like vel Serranis, and the cold was probably caused by someone weaving Fire and Air.”

"It was the Dark Lord, not some other dahl'reisen masquerading as him in order to bilk me of my gold. Flaming souls, Morvel, they're Fey!" Lord Barrial met Rain's gaze briefly in an unspoken apology. "They can make their own damned gold if that's what they're after. And for your information, there are twenty-five dahl'reisen living on my lands, and I only pay the two who've been with my family for the last three centuries.”

Beside Ellie, Rain went still. She glanced at him in surprised inquiry.

«Twenty-five is no arbitrary number, Ellysetta. It is five sets of five, a combination capable of weaving vast power.”

She swallowed, sensing enough concern in him to know what he had left unsaid. If twenty-five dahl'reisen had come to Lord Barrial's land, there was a reason for it. And if Gaelen vel Serranis was behind it, there was reason to fear.

"It was the Dark Lord," Lord Barrial continued. "He told me darkness was rising and said I should guard my children and wear my crystal." He looked at Rain. "Those were his exact words: `Darkness is rising.' He was warning me the Mages have returned to power.”

"Ha. Sounds more like a warning to quit drinking so damn much pinalle. That's what it was.”

Lord Barrial glared. "You're a blind, hardheaded fool, Morvel.”

"And you're a superstitious idiot, Barrial.”

"Peace, my lords," the king interrupted as servants approached with a cart bearing a huge soup tureen. "Our first course is served. Let's not spoil the meal with harsh words.”

Ellie shifted in her seat as the servant leaned over her left shoulder to fill her soup bowl with a clear brown broth brimming with thin slices of mushrooms and onions.

"Thank you," she murmured, earning a startled look from the servant, who then glanced at the king, flushed, and whispered back, "You are most welcome, my lady.”

Beside her, Rain allowed the servant to fill his soup bowl, then selected the gold-handled soup spoon from the far left of his selection of cutlery. Ellie picked up the same spoon from her own place setting but waited for the king to begin eating before she did.

"You employ dahl'reisen, my lord?" Lady Thea asked Lord Barrial after everyone at their part of the table was served. She made a show of fluttering her long thick lashes, causing Ellie to blink in surprise. Weren't noblewomen supposed to be adept at flirtation? Even Kelissande could teach Lady Thea a thing or two about subtlety. "With all that's going on, do you think that's wise?”

Lord Barrial frowned at his dinner mate. "Unlike some, I'm not convinced dahl'reisen are behind the murders in the north. As I said, they've served my family for generations, and there's no record of their ever giving cause for concern. In fact, it used to be common for all border lords to employ dahl'reisen. They're much better than wizards when it comes to countering the magic of the Eld.”

"Useful or not, I think I'd be terrified to have so many dahl'reisen in such close proximity." The lady gave a delicate shiver.

"Yes, well, that seems to be the common female sentiment. My daughter has never cared for them much, either." There was a cool finality to his tone that discouraged Lady Thea from continuing her flirtations.

"Lord Barrial," Rain said quietly in the ensuing, slightly awkward silence, "after dinner I would like to hear more about your visit with Gaelen vel Serranis.”

"It would be my pleasure, My Lord Feyreisen," Lord Barrial replied with a nod.

"So, Lady Morvel"—Lady Thea cast a determined smile at Lord Morvel's wife—"I understand you're to be a grandmother again.”

"Ta. Our oldest daughter is expecting her fifth," Lady Morvel answered, and a light exchange of pleasantries followed as they attended their meal.