‘It’s you,’ Aris said. ‘Oh, lordy, you’re in trouble, girl.’

‘I figured that out when Jonas told me what he did to people like me.’

‘I’m not talking about Jonas. Ever since we lit out o’ Cheer, the Aghacian telegraph’s been frenzied with news of a witch surviving a hangin’. I should’ve known when we found out you were a girl. My guess is that Braph is here for his own purposes, because there’s no way he’d be this far south already if he was working from the news of your surviving the hanging. But Turhmos will be sending troops now, there’s no doubtin’ that.’ He watched Llew, his eyes narrowed. ‘I can send word ahead to Quaver, but they’re already too many days behind. And tryin’ to explain the need to protect an Aenuk in a telegraph . . .’

‘You think Braph is here for me?’

Aris nodded. ‘We may regret your hesitation, Jonas.’

Llew looked down. She shouldn’t have been surprised, she knew Aris didn’t like her kind – but it still felt all kinds of wrong to hear them talk so casually about killing her.

‘Then again . . .’ Aris said, staring past Llew. ‘Perhaps Quaver can make use of her.’

‘Hey, I’m right here. And I’m a person. What do you mean ‘make use of’?’

‘Don’t you see, Jonas?’ Aris asked, as if Llew hadn’t spoken.

‘I’ve hardly slept, Aris. You’re gonna have to tell me.’

‘How many Aenuks have you seen come back from the dead?’

‘None. But they usually have my knife in them. What’s your point?’

‘My point is that Aenuks don’t come back from the dead. Not alone, anyway. One Aenuk might be brought back by the combined efforts of six, maybe ten, other Aenuks. Maybe. But I’ve yet to hear of it. My point is that your brother—’

‘Half-brother.’

‘Half-brother, wants her. Why, when he must already have a supply of Aenuk blood?’ Aris said. ‘My point is, Jonas, that just as the Karan race has the Syakaran, the Aenuk race has the Syaenuk, capable of feats even their closest relatives cannot hope to try.’

Jonas peered at Llew.

‘My point, Jonas,’ Aris said, slow and deliberate, ‘is that we have, in Llew, quite possibly the greatest discovery since, well, since your own family was rediscovered. We, as representatives of Quaver, have something that Turhmos and your half-brother would do just about anything to get their hands on.’

He looked at Llew and Llew drew back. It was as though he didn’t see her as a person but as a thing: a commodity.

‘My point is, Jonas, we have two choices. We kill her so no one can have her, or we keep her out of Turhmos’s and Braph’s hands and get her safely to Quaver.’

Jonas didn’t meet Aris’s gaze, and the muscles in his jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth.

‘And what would Quaver want with me?’

Aris shrugged. ‘My guess? They’ll probably kill you soon as risk trouble. But . . .’ He hesitated. ‘It’s possible we could find a use for you. Destructive as it is, you have immense power. You could tip the balance in our favor.’ He looked back to Jonas, who still refused to look at either of them, and nodded. ‘I guess she lives, then. In which case, I’m putting you, Jonas, in charge of keeping her safe. Alvaro and Cassidy are fully capable of dealing with whatever elements show an interest in Anya. Llew, on the other hand, is going to attract real trouble.’

Alvaro pushed his way through the inn door, carrying the shirt Llew had stolen on her way out of Cheer. Seeing the three of them, he stopped a few yards away, not saying a word.

‘That means you don’t leave her side until we get her safely into the custody of the Quaven authorities. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

Jonas looked up at Aris. His mouth opened as though to protest, then it clamped shut. He nodded.

‘One condition, though.’ Aris looked pointedly at each of them. ‘There will be no funny business.’ Then to Llew he said, ‘Jonas is more important to Quaver than you will ever be. I won’t put him at risk. There will be no . . . canoodling.’

Llew blushed. What would Aris say if he knew what they had been up to the night before?

‘Won’t be a problem,’ said Jonas. He wasn’t looking at any of them, just focused straight ahead, jaw working. The loss of his friendship was like a kick in her guts. She wished she could have told him sooner, but it was so hard to believe she would be sitting there, still alive, if she had.

‘And the second you raise a finger against him,’ Aris continued, ‘I expect that knife so deep in you we can hang our coats off your back. Understand?’

‘Hey—’ Alvaro took a step forward but stopped when Aris raised a hand.

Llew nodded.

‘We have to move,’ said Aris. ‘There’s a man of incredible power out there who knows what Llew is. And the folk of Stelt are about to start askin’ questions about all the dead vegetation in their town. There’s a reason few places outside Turhmos tolerate your kind.’

‘Maybe I should move to Turhmos, then.’

‘Don’t even joke about it, Llew,’ Jonas said in a flat tone, finally affording her a brief glance.

‘I’ll have a wash basin sent to your room, Llew. Wash and change quickly. The rest of us will be waiting.’

Llew got up from the bench seat and took her shirt from Alvaro. Jonas pushed himself off the wall, winced and, hands on hips, set about stretching his back, a grimace on his face.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ Aris asked.

‘Nothin’, I— Just stiff after helpin’ Llew, s’all.’

‘You what? You helped heal her?’ Aris said sharply. Alvaro looked from Aris to Jonas and to Llew in confusion, trying to piece things together.

‘I helped. It was taking so long—’

‘Don’t you ever do that again. I will not sacrifice you for her. Got that?’ He turned to Llew. ‘Get!’

Llew scooted inside as Jonas agreed not to risk his life for hers again. She hadn’t realized he had done that, that he had touched her while she was healing, giving his ghi to help her heal. She had only healed from other people a few times, and never for anything more than a cut or tear. It must have cost him something to do it. Now she really was confused. He was supposed to kill her, but instead he’d helped her live.

Heading up the stairs, she found herself smiling at a confused and questioning Anya, Emylia, and Cassidy as they made their way down with their belongings.