Navarre seemed about to go, but I had to ask one more thing.  “Navarre, why would you trust me like this?  Why are you risking your life to help me?  I’m sure they would kill you for this.”

            “No one should be under their power.  Ever.”  There was a bite in his voice like a winter frost and a notion grew in the back of my mind.  “I gave you my name because you trusted me and gave me yours.”

            “They have your name too, don’t they?” I asked softly.  “That’s why you work for them.  You don’t really have a choice, do you?”

            His bitter smile showed me I’d struck a chord.  “Yes.  I’m a glorified slave.”

            The meaning of what he was doing for me hit home.  He was going against those who could control him perfectly, on what seemed a suicide mission, all to save me.  “Can you not rename yourself?” I inquired.

            He shook his head.  “I’ve been commanded not to.  That’s one of the first things they did.”

            “But you can help me, working against them, and without their knowledge?”

            He smiled crookedly but, this time, it touched everything but his eyes.  “They haven’t discovered all my tricks yet.  But I must go.  With luck I will see you again within three days.”  He smiled at me again, this time without trying to hide the sadness in his face and part of me wanted to cry.  Impulsively, I reached out for his hand.

            “Navarre,” Speaking the name softly, I hesitated, unsure of just what to say.  What did you say to someone prepared to die for you?  “Navarre, know that I understand just what you are doing for me and I cannot thank you…there are no words…” He squeezed my hand, a little more warmth coming into his icy eyes.

“You don’t have to say anything, my lady.”  We stood like this for one moment that seemed to last a long time yet be over in a flash as Navarre let my hand go and slipped out of the alley.  I watched him go, his stride certain and his back straight, and then leaned against the building next to me for support, emotionally spent.  What a mess I was embroiled in!  I didn’t want to admit just how much I cared about this man I’d only known for twenty-four hours, but I found that I trusted Navarre much more than I did Trenwyn.  Trenwyn was not trying to harm me, of that I was sure, but he had not pledged his life for me as Navarre apparently had.  He had not given me his name as Navarre had.  I felt a shiver run down my spine.  He had my name and I his.  And the Seti had both of ours.

This thought gave me pause.  If Navarre killed the Seti who knew my true name, ending any power they might have over me, what was to stop me from doing the same for him?  Not that I wanted to kill anyone—or could even bring myself to, if I was honest—but I wanted to help him too.  Something to think on as I learned more about this place.  What was this place called anyway?  I would have to remember to ask Trenwyn.

            Thinking of Trenwyn, I realized that I should get back to Trenwyn’s house before he showed up there to find me missing.  The last thing I needed was for him to be asking questions. 

            When Trenwyn did arrive, he seemed relieved to see me there.  “Good.  You found your way.  I spoke with my circle and we will meet tonight for the renaming and to remove the sign.”

            Lucian was conspicuously absent and I found myself looking behind Trenwyn into the street to see if he was behind.  “Where’s your wolf?”

            Trenwyn smiled a little.  “Lucian’s staying at the stead.  He likes being able to run around if he wants.  Here in town, I keep him close to me and that’s no fun for someone like him.” 

            I was a little relieved at this.  Of the two, Lucian seemed more dangerous than Trenwyn.  I would be able to argue with Trenwyn, but there was no arguing with those golden eyes and sharp teeth.  “Trenwyn,” I began cautiously.  How was I going to explain why I didn’t want to go through with the renaming?  I couldn’t tell him it was because I was trusting a Seti agent to fix everything for me.

            “What is it?” Trenwyn asked.

            “I don’t want to do the renaming.  At least, not tonight.  Let’s just remove the sign for now.”

            Trenwyn made an exasperated sound.  “Why should we bother removing the sign if you’re not going to be renamed?  You’ll just be killed.”

            “Please, Trenwyn, I can’t think of any new name that seems right.  I need some time.  Give me…three days.  Then, even if I haven’t found one that I think would work, I’ll just pick one and go with it.”

            Judging from his expression, Trenwyn was not impressed.  “Are you certain you can’t find a name now?  You still have time before tonight.”

I shook my head.  “The more pressure there is, the less I am able to think clearly.”

Trenwyn began to mutter.  I didn’t even try to listen.  At last he sighed and seemed resigned to deal with my ignorance and stubbornness.  “Well, if we’re going to remove the sign, there are still preparations to be made.” he pulled a bundle of light-colored cloth out of his leather bag and thrust it toward me.  I found myself holding the bundle.  “Put this on.” 

            “What all is involved in this sign removal ceremony, Trenwyn?” I was wary.  It was seeming more like some kind of occult pagan ritual than the cure for a handshake gone bad. 

            Trenwyn frowned.  “Not much, really.  But you have to be ready.”

            “Don’t make me regret this, Trenwyn.”

            “You can change in the bathing room,” was his only reply.

            Frowning, I did as he asked, closing the door behind me.  Unfolding the fabric, I saw it was a simple cotton garment, all of one piece with a sash to tie around it.  Kind of like an oversized pillowcase, really, with holes for arms and legs.  I was happy to find that the robe’s neckline was high enough to conceal the medallion and I wished in vain for a mirror.  Trenwyn clearly did not appreciate the importance of a mirror in a bathing room and I hadn’t seen my face since yesterday in the bathtub reflection.  I’d never realized how much I’d taken mirrors for granted.  When I emerged, it seemed Trenwyn had gone again and I sat down on the bed, hoping my wait wouldn’t be too long.  I sure didn’t want to go out in the streets looking like a potato sack, though. 

            Evening was setting in and it felt like an hour passed before Trenwyn showed his face.

            “I brought you sandals,” he greeted me, presenting the leather footwear.   

            He set them on the table and I took them, mentally cursing the ties as I fumbled to put the lace-up sandals on with my hurt hand.  They fit perfectly and it struck me that all of the clothes Trenwyn had given me seemed to be tailored.  How did he know what size I wore?

            My frustration increased when I saw Trenwyn watching me, trying to hide a smile.

            I stomped my second sandaled foot down on the floor, demanding, “When do we go to this sign removal?”

            Trenwyn glanced at the small window.  “It’s not yet dark.  When we do go, however, you should wear this.”  He pulled a black cloak out of his bag.  

I was skeptical.  “I thought you had issues with black.”

“It will be dark when we go and you’ll want to pass unseen.  Besides, it gets cool here at night.”

I saw the logic in this and sat down at the table to wait.  I hated waiting.  And waiting for something darkly mysterious was even worse.  After five minutes of silence, Trenwyn rose.

“Maybe we should go now.”  

Apparently he hated to wait as well, I thought dryly as I stood and donned the all-encompassing black cloak, pulling the hood over my head to hide as much of my face as possible.  Now I felt like some sort of witch or wizard.  

Trenwyn led the way and we exited the town through a small opening in the wall.  I wondered how many such openings there were.  This was the only one I’d seen, but I had not been looking.  The path we followed quickly grew steeper, leading up into the cliffs and foothills Rhir was nestled against.  How far were we going?  I hoped not too far in these silly sandals.  I tripped over the long cloak several times, almost falling, but eventually I saw flickering firelight ahead.  

As we came around a bend, I could see that the ground leveled out for a bit and that a fire had been lit in a clear, sandy circle.  Around this fire, four men sat, all in cloaks like Trenwyn’s, all with hoods up.  I might have known.  One of them heard us, alerting the others, and all rose, looking on expectantly as we entered the circle of light.  The one who stepped forward had a neatly cropped black beard and a narrow face.

Trenwyn introduced him, “Ethereal, may I present the leader of our circle here, Daryn.”

“I know your trust, Daryn,” I copied Gherard’s greeting I’d learned this morning. 

Daryn’s thin mouth twitched in a smile.  “And I yours, Ethereal.  May I offer you some drink?  You will want to dull your senses before the evening is over.”

I tensed.  Why would I want to do that?  What were they going to do to me?

“It will be over quickly and the pain is only temporary.”  Perhaps Daryn’s smile was meant to reassure me.  It had the opposite effect. 

“What pain?”  I couldn’t keep silent any longer.  Trenwyn frowned at me and I guessed that such questions were not protocol, but I ignored him. 

“We will have to burn the sign of the Seti out of your hand, my lady.”

I nodded, swallowing hard.  Daryn proffered a wineskin but I shook my head.  “No thanks, I’ll be okay.”

Daryn shrugged and then smirked at Trenwyn, though he spoke to me.  “Most people who must have a malicious sign removed spend the initial part of the ceremony getting drunk.”

“I don’t need to be drunk.”  My tone was firm.  “Is there anything else to do beforehand, or can we get on with it and get this thing off of me?”

“Are you certain that you will not rename tonight?”

“Very certain.”

“As you wish.  Trenwyn, Das, Erym, Mochlas.”  Daryn called to the other majai and they formed a circle around me and the fire, all silent for a long moment.  I could only see Daryn’s and Trenwyn’s faces and their eyes stared off vacantly.  It was eerie.  Then the moment passed and Trenwyn stepped forward and motioned that I should remove the cloak.  I did, handing it to him.

  “Das, the bowl.”  Daryn’s tone was commanding.  One of the men stepped forward, handing Daryn a marble bowl.  Daryn carried the bowl to the fire and used it to scoop up some glowing coals.  Turning, he motioned me toward the fire.

“Brace yourself, my lady.”  As he spoke, he took some of the glowing coals in his hand and held them out to me, indicating I was to grasp them in my own hand.  Two of the other Duri stepped forward, one on each side of me.  Were they going to restrain me?  Did they think I wouldn’t be able to take touching the coals?  I reached forward, sucking air in, anticipating the burn, and laid my palm over his outstretched hand.  I’d meant to grasp some of the coals in my hand but this thought fled my mind when I first touched the coals.  Everything fled my mind, replaced by an explosion of angry reds and oranges and pain.  Searing pain.  This was like no burn I’d ever felt—like the coals had ignited my hand and were burning away the very bones.  Something else was burning too.  Something foreign that did not belong to my hand.  I hadn’t been able to feel the Seti death sign before, but I felt it now.  I couldn’t breathe.  Time seemed to freeze, though I burned.  My hand would be nothing more that a smoldering stump after this.  The sign was almost gone, burning to oblivion.  Someone screamed.