Abeke shot a curious glance at Shane. This information was new to her, but she supposed it was all plausible.

“You are understandably puzzled,” General Gar said. “Perhaps you imagine yourself among enemies, for that is how the Greencloaks characterize everyone but themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Chinwe was the only Greencloak Abeke had actually known. She had always seemed kind of mysterious, but had genuinely cared about the village. In the stories, the Greencloaks were always the good guys, but if the Greencloaks had written the stories . . .

Shifting on his throne, General Gar raised his eyebrows. “The war happened long ago. We do not hate the Greencloaks. The butchers who slaughtered our ancestors are long gone. But you must forgive us if we are slow to trust them. They tried to exterminate us once, and we fear they may do the same again. This is why we have endured centuries without the Nectar, our people suffering the illness and death that accompanies natural bonding.”

Abeke looked to Shane again. “How awful! Your bonding . . .”

“Occurred without any Nectar,” Shane said. “I was one of the lucky ones. Other friends and family weren’t.” Abeke realized with surprise that Shane’s eyes were wet. She had never seen him look so vulnerable.

“We mean the Greencloaks no harm,” General Gar said. “We mean no harm to the other nations of Erdas. We just want the chance to protect our people from the side effects of natural bonding. Our problem is that the Greencloaks control all the Nectar, and use that control to wield power over the people of Erdas. The Greencloaks should make the Nectar available to everyone.”

“They share it,” Abeke said, thinking of Chinwe.

“The good ones do,” General Gar agreed. “But they only share it on their terms. In return, they want influence, control. And those are the best of them. Some keep it for themselves. Or, worse, they share false Nectar. It is already a terrible problem in Zhong and Amaya, and the problem is spreading.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair,” Abeke admitted.

“Exactly,” Shane said. “But we can’t risk asking them directly. If they know people survive in Stetriol, they might come destroy us.”

“We have a plan to help them listen to reason,” Zerif said. “Did you know that each of the Great Beasts possesses a talisman?”

“I think so,” Abeke said, unsure. “My mother mentioned them in the stories she told.”

“All of the talismans contain powers that can be used by the Marked,” Zerif explained. “The Greencloaks are currently seeking the talismans of the Great Beasts. They wish to control all of the talismans just as they control the world’s supply of Nectar.”

“We intend to claim the talismans first,” General Gar said. “That way the Greencloaks will have to listen to us. And the talismans will give us some protection in case the Greencloaks try to wipe out Stetriol again. We cannot lose more loved ones to the consequences of natural bonding. With our modest numbers, we are risking everything to obtain a few of these talismans. Abeke, we hope that you and Uraza will help us.”

Abeke felt confused. “Me? How can I help? I know nothing about any talismans. Unless . . . do you think Uraza has one?”

“Uraza lost her talisman when she was killed, as did the other Four Fallen,” Zerif said. “No one knows where they ended up. We have people investigating those. Shane’s sister, Drina, leads that team.”

“We don’t require information from you,” General Gar clarified, and gestured to the crone on the stool. “We have Yumaris. Her spirit animal is an earthworm. Yumaris has lost touch with daily life, but she sees with a penetrating eye. She is how Zerif found you. She recently located one of the talismans, in Amaya. I want you to join Zerif and Shane to help us retrieve it.”

“You and Uraza can help repair the world,” Zerif said, his face intent. “Join us in protecting our homeland and helping to make the Nectar available to all who need it.”

Abeke frowned. Something didn’t feel right. She trusted Shane, but it was all so much to absorb. “What about the men who were making monsters?”

General Gar nodded. “Shane informed me about your unfortunate encounter. Those were not our men, but I am aware of them. They constantly experiment in the attempt to find a replacement for the Nectar. I applaud their desire to make Nectar freely available, but I have no love for their methods.”

“It was a terrible accident,” Zerif said. “We have already sent an envoy to inform them of the danger they caused and to insist they take their unnatural tests elsewhere.”

Abeke nodded. She had hoped General Gar’s people hadn’t been behind those monsters, but needed to be sure. Their cause sounded just. Everyone deserved to protect their home. Chinwe had called the Greencloaks the protectors of Erdas, but she had always been extremely secretive about the Nectar. And Chinwe was probably one of the good ones.

General Gar, Zerif, and Shane all seemed to respect Abeke, and even more, they seemed to need her. They had gone to great lengths to find her and to train her. Perhaps her great stealth would help them get some of the talismans.

Shane took her hand. “It’s a lot to take in,” he said. “We’re involving you in our problems. If you need some time to think this over, just let us know.”

Abeke shook her head. Here she stood, with a king asking for her help, along with the man her father had trusted to watch over her, and her first close friend in all the world. There would be time to learn more details later. For now, she would do whatever she could.

Abeke squeezed Shane’s hand. “You can count on me,” she said. “I’ll help you find the talisman.”

12 BOULDER CITY

FOUR HORSES CANTERED ALONG A FADED TRAIL BORDERED BY low, scrubby bushes. A long, angular ridge occasionally gave variety to the dry, rolling terrain. Rollan rode at the back of the line. A week ago, he had never sat astride a horse. After several days in the saddle, the soreness was wearing off, and he was growing more comfortable with his mount. The horses were all chargers, bred by the Greencloaks not only for power and endurance, but also for intelligence and loyalty. Rollan supposed it paid to have horses furnished by animal experts.

Conor was up ahead, then Meilin beyond him, and finally Tarik in the lead. All wore green cloaks. Olvan had provided Rollan with a gray one.

The commander of the Greencloaks had struck a deal with him. If Rollan helped retrieve this first talisman, he would receive enough money to last him a year, along with the official friendship of the Greencloaks, meaning he could stay in any of the towers and — a point Rollan was careful to include — eat their food. Rollan would receive nothing more until all of the talismans were accounted for, in which case the Greencloaks would buy him a manor and provide him with enough money for five lifetimes. Olvan had stressed that at any point throughout the process, Rollan could renounce his rewards and take up the green cloak instead.