"But what about Maelin?" pleaded Darrow. "You can't face the Malveens alone."
"He's not alone," said Chaney. Feena had healed his injuries, and both of them stood beside Tal, staring down the pack.
Darrow watched as the pack gathered around Sorcia. They took wolf form once more before loping out into the night.
Turning back to Tal, Darrow pleaded, "At least take me with you."
"Put on your pants," said Tal, throwing the garment at Barrow's chest before collecting his own fallen clothes. After the first season at Qmckly's, Tal had learned to shed his modesty with his clothes, but the constant and unintended nudity was becoming annoying.
"How can we trust you?" asked Feena. "It sounds like you've betrayed everyone you served before."
"I know how it looks," said Darrow, "but all I want is to help get her out of there."
"Do you know a spell to tell whether he's lying?" Tal asked Feena.
"Not until dusk tomorrow," she said.
"We can't wait that long. When Rusk fails to return, they'll kill the girl."
"Why not just turn this one over to the Scepters?" suggested Chaney. "He's proof that none of this is your fault. You didn't kill anyone except these monsters."
"What about the girl?" said Tal. "Even if Eckert has been feeding the Malveens information to use against me, she did nothing to deserve this. Besides, if the Malveens are behind this, I want to know why."
"It's because of your father," said Darrow. "At least, that's what Stannis says."
"What are you talking about?"
Darrow told them the story of the pirate Lady Velanna and the fall of House Malveen, along with Stannis's undying grudge against Thamalon Uskevren.
"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard," said Chaney. "What could he hope to gain by turning Tal into a werewolf?"
"At first, I don't think he had a plan," explained Darrow. "When he heard Tal escaped the werewolves, he hoped Rusk could control him and use him to embarrass the family."
"But Tal already does that. Ow!" He rubbed his head where Feena had rapped him with her knuckles.
"Even if Rusk couldn't control you," said Darrow, "he figured your fights with your father and brother would eventually lead to bloodshed."
"That's ridiculous," said Tal.
"Maybe not," said Feena. "Those who don't learn how to ride the moon often give in to the beast. Remember how hard it was for you to control your anger when you were newly cursed?"
"Maybe so," said Tal slowly. "Still, I have a hard time picturing Radu Malveen as part of such a scheme."
"He hated it from the start," admitted Darrow. "But you can't count on his standing aside and letting you take Maelin. He won't permit anything to hurt his family."
"Well, he should have thought about that before he helped hurt mine," said Tal.
He turned back to where Sivana and Mallion sat beside Qmckly's body. They had covered her with a gold and white cloak, the one they used for monarchs in the plays. Ennis sat against the foot of the stage, his big body quivering as he wept. Tal went to kneel beside them.
"It's not your fault," said Sivana. "You're thinking it is, but it isn't."
Tal started to answer, but Mallion interrupted him. "She's right. Maybe they wanted you, but they hurt people wherever they go." He cast a rueful eye toward Darrow. "Be careful of that one."
"I will," promised Tal. "When we get back, we'll take her to the House of Song. Whatever it costs, we'll have High Songmaster Ammhaddan bring her back to us."
Sivana lost her composure at his words. "No," she said. "Qmckly's will… she left it with me. She doesn't want us to… she said she liked the life she had and wouldn't want to bollocks up a second one."
Tal's breath caught in his throat. That sounded just like Mistress Quickly.
"Do you want us to come with you?" asked Mallion. Tal could tell by the tone of his voice that he hoped the answer would be no.
"Stay with her," he said. "And sing her a prayer for me." "We'll sing a few for you, too," said Sivana. "Milil and Oghma grant you a great show. Knock 'em dead." "That's what I intend to do."
"I have a bad feeling about this place," said Feena.
The four of them stood within the shadowed courtyard of House Malveen. The weird gargoyles watched them as they made their way toward the central building. Selune had emerged from the eclipse as brilliant as ever, but even her silver light could not penetrate the lowest gloom.
"What kind of feeling?" asked Chaney. "Magic? Evil?"
"Yes," said Feena.
"Quiet," warned Darrow. He touched hilt of the long sword he had borrowed from Mallion, grateful that Tal had not insisted he go unarmed. "He might have set the spawn to guard the warehouse."
Tal willed his eyes to shift to wolf form. It felt as natural as squinting, and it allowed him to see light too faint for his human eyes to perceive. The details were lost, but he spotted the movement of a rat none of the others saw dash across their path.
"We need light," said Feena. Even if the three werewolves shifted to four legs, Chaney would be left blind.
"All right," said Tal, "but brace yourselves."
Feena chanted a quick orison, and her holy symbol blazed with white radiance. She cupped it in her hands to keep most of it on the ground ahead of them. They spotted the broken door, and Darrow led them through it.
Inside, the warehouse was abandoned. Tal could still smell the recent occupation of the werewolf pack, along with something salty, sour, and somehow unnatural.
"The spawn," observed Darrow, whose own nose was wrinkled in disgust. "They smell worse up close."
"If you smell them coming," said Feena, "let me cast some wards on you before you fight with them."
"Thanks," said Tal, "but once a fight begins, you stay out of the way."
"No promises," said Feena. She almost laughed at the shock on Tal's face. "I'll be careful."
"Good enough."
They navigated the crowded warehouse and found the door to the River Hall closed.
"There's tio ward on it," said Feena quietly, holding her talisman before her. "At least none that I can detect."
Tal tried the handle. Locked.
"Stand back," he said, setting Perivel's sword aside.
"Wait," said Chaney. "Let me try something." He slid a flat leather pouch from his sleeve and unfurled it to reveal a selection of lock picks.
"We're going to have another chat about how you make a living, aren't we?" said Tal.
"Don't be so judgmental," Chaney said. "You're the werewolf."
"A law-abiding werewolf," Tal responded.
Chaney snorted quietly.
"Are they always like this?" whispered Darrow amiably to Feena.
Her response was a silent, icy glare. Tal still didn't like the man, but he felt a pang of pity for Darrow. The man had done some terrible wrongs, to be sure, but he seemed to crave redemption. Tal wondered how different his life might have been if Feena had not guided him through his harrowing affliction.
"There," said Chaney. "Easier than I thought. Exactly the same as the lock on Thazienne's bedchamber."
"You wish," said Tal. "You keep it up, and I'll tell her you said that."
"I take it back! I take it back!" whispered Chaney.
Tal knew they should try to remain silent, but the banter soothed his nerves. The idea effacing vampires was bad enough, but it was Radu Malveen he truly dreaded facing. Not only was the man the finest swordsman in Selgaunt, but Tal was not convinced he was a willing party to his brother's crimes. He hoped it would not come to a fight between them.
"Lead on, but go slowly," said Feena. She looked through her three extended fingers while clasping the talisman between thumb and little finger. "I'm still watching for magic."
Barrow walked slowly ahead. Watching the caution with which he set each foot on the floor persuaded Tal that Darrow was either a good actor or a man who truly did not know whether there were wards in place.