"Garvin?" The glass clouded.
"Dogstar? One minute. Stay with me." His voice was loud in the small room. I heard sounds of movement from the mirror, a door closing. "What's the situation?"
"Raffmir was here. I was down on the beach and he was waiting for me." I recounted what had happened.
"Is he there now?"
"No, I went after him, but he vanished."
"The wraithkin delegation were ordered to stay with their escorts. I've lodged a protest with Altair and he says they'll be disciplined as soon as they can be found."
"They've both gone?"
"Yes. They were in their accommodation. The windows and doors were warded. When no one came out we sent in the stewards to see if they wanted anything and they were gone."
"How did they get out without anyone noticing?"
"They're wraithkin. They have their ways."
I was wraithkin too, but I didn't know how to get past a warding without triggering it. "We know where Raffmir went. Any idea about Deefnir?"
"Nothing confirmed. Blackbird's gone too. He may have gone after her."
"I know. I tried to speak to her earlier. She was in a car or a truck. I don't know where she was headed – London maybe?"
"We can't protect her if she's not here, Niall."
"It sounds like she's looking after herself."
"I've sent Amber after Raffmir, Slimgrin to find Deefnir. If they find them they'll bring them back here. Fionh is acting as liaison for the negotiations. Tate, Fellstamp and I are rotating shifts, keeping things tight, though Fellstamp is only managing six-hour stints. So far Altair is happy to sit and talk while we run round after him."
"You want me to come back in?"
"No. I told Altair you were on assignment. It doesn't sound like it's going too well."
"I have to figure out what the assignment is first."
"That's often the way, Dogstar. Keep your head up and your eyes open."
"What did Raffmir mean, when he said he was the only one who could show me how to reach Alex? How did he even know she'd been taken?"
"You already know the wraithkin can listen in on other people without them knowing. If you're his target, Niall, you have to assume that he's overheard every conversation you've had since he got here, maybe even before that. He may have been watching you for months."
"He can't harm me, or cause me to come to harm, without breaking his oath."
"I said before, Niall. They're not here by accident. The negotiations have hit deadlock. Neither side is willing to concede on the major issue – what happens to Blackbird, you and the rest of the half-breeds. Altair's treading water. He's waiting for something. We have to find out what."
"Maybe if Raffmir appears again, I'll ask him."
"Watch out for Deefnir. Raffmir's sworn not to harm you, but there's no restriction on Deefnir. If he gets close, use Warder's discretion."
"If he comes for me, I'll defend myself."
"Try not to kill him. If you do you've made a worse enemy. Deefnir is Altair's grandchild."
"His grandson? I thought Fey weren't fertile?"
"They have problems conceiving, but it's not unknown. Deefnir was born in exile. This is the first time he's been to our world. Try not to make it his last. If it comes to it, though, don't hold back. We can sort out the diplomatic ramifications afterwards. Besides, maybe he's gone sightseeing?" The doubt in that last sentence came clear through the mirror.
"I'll be careful."
"I want to know if you see either of them again. Let me know."
"I will. Thanks, Garvin."
"Stay tight."
I released my connection with the mirror and the cloudiness diminished to a spot in the middle, then vanished.
I reached out again. "Blackbird?" The mirror clouded again, then lightened to a misty grey.
"Blackbird? Can you hear me?"
There was a hissing sound that deepened to a low buzz. I rose and placed my hand on the mirror, strengthening the connection with touch. The mirror chilled under my hand, outlining my fingers in condensation. Snatches of her voice stuttered through the mirror, fragments of words, jumbled together.
"Blackbird? Where are you?"
I let the connection build gently under my hand, conscious of how the mirror had shattered when I tried to contact Mr Phillips. Where was she?
Suddenly the connection cleared and I could hear her. "Niall? Is that you?"
"Yes, can you hear me?"
"Yes, I'm out on the fire escape. Where are you?"
"I'm in Yorkshire, a fishing town…"
"You disappeared. I had no idea where you'd gone."
"Garvin was supposed to tell you."
"Garvin told me to sit tight and twiddle my thumbs. Why didn't you tell me the Untainted were here?"
"I didn't know until I was summoned before the High Court. Then Garvin told Altair I was on assignment and Tate bundled me out of the building before they could start anything. Garvin was supposed to warn you."
"He wouldn't say where you were or what you were doing. He told me that Altair had turned up and to stay in the apartment and not to come out for any reason."
"He was trying to protect you."
"Well, he failed. I checked the mirrors in the apartment. They were cold, much colder than the room. They were listening to everything. It wasn't safe. They were just waiting for an opportunity."
"So where are you now? Wait! Don't tell me. They could be listening to us now."
"Let them. I'm with Claire Raddison, the Remembrancer's clerk. No one thought to tell her the Untainted were in town, did they? She's not protected by the Warders or the Courts. We have all the protection we need now. We have all six horseshoes here and if they come for us they're going to get a beating they'll never forget."
"Iron horseshoes? Isn't that difficult for you?"
"You forget. I don't have any magic. There's nothing to react with the iron. I can pick them up and hold them."
The connection suddenly wavered, a strange whining sound coming from the mirror like distorted static. "I'm losing you. Are you there?"
"Sorry, I've put it down again now. They're heavy enough to slug a troll with. We had to carry them between us to get them back to Claire's flat."
"Not exactly a handy weapon."
"It'll do the job, if it comes to it. They won't be able to cross the doorways and if they get inside they'll get a surprise they won't believe. We have more than horseshoes to defend ourselves."
I told Blackbird about Raffmir's visit and Deefnir being Altair's grandson.
"I don't care if he's the Prince of Persia, if he comes near my baby I'll nail him to a doorpost."
I smiled. I should have known she'd find a way to protect herself. "Just be careful. We don't know where they've gone or what they're doing. You'd better warn the Highsmiths at the farm in Shropshire as well, just to be on the safe side."
"It's already done. I spoke to Meg earlier. She said they would take suitable precautions, and they still have the broken Quick Knife. That alone should discourage visitors."
"I'm sorry. I should have warned you myself."
"I will admit, it was a shock. Why are they here?'
"Negotiating a peace settlement. At least that's what Altair says they're doing. Garvin thinks they're here for some other reason."
"Does he know what?"
"No, but Altair asked to have me as his personal Warder. That's why Garvin assigned me here with this mess."
"How is it going?"
I explained about my success in finding the missing girls and my encounter in the cave.
"You went in blind. That was… bold."
"Garvin was good enough not to point that out."
"It's your life you're risking, Niall. A visit from the Warders isn't generally a social call. What were you expecting, a welcome mat?"
"I'll be better prepared next time."