Tucked into the changeling’s belt at his left side, it had plunged with him into the spinning blades. Pradoor’s spell had chewed it to tatters.
Aruget looked up at her, and his face hardened. “Keep your paper safe then,” he said-and shoved past her, charging back at the bugbears and Pradoor as they emerged into the outer room. He snatched a heavy vessel of Aundairian glass from a shelf as he raced by and hurled it ahead of him at the old priestess.
For once, Pradoor’s strange senses seemed to fail her. The glass vessel struck her right between the eyes, and she pitched over backward. She hit the floor, and the barrier of blades vanished.
And the bugbear with the hammer hit Aruget. The weapon swung high, slamming into his chest and halting his charge. The changeling’s legs flew out from under him and he crashed down onto his back. The other armed bugbear raised his axe. Ashi saw Aruget’s eyes open wide. He flung himself aside and the axe chopped through the thick carpet deep into the floor. The bugbear jerked at the axe, trying to pull it loose, but the other two bugbears were already on Aruget, the unarmed one kicking at his head with heavy boots, the other raising his hammer for another blow.
There was no need. Between Tariic’s servants, Ashi saw Aruget’s face run like wax. The coarse features, ruddy tones, and long mobile ears of Aruget melted into a pale, delicate visage surrounded by short-cropped, silver hair. The bugbear froze in surprise.
Ashi had never seen Aruget’s true face. Changelings didn’t revert to their natural face in sleep or when they lost consciousness, only when they willed it. Or when they died.
Rage settled over Ashi. In her head, she knew that she should be running-out the door, down the stairs, and out into Rhukaan Draal in search of some way to get her information out of Darguun. Her heart told her she should be doing something very different.
Even though the bugbears couldn’t hear it, she raised her voice in the fluting battle cry of the Bonetree Clan and flung herself at them. The first barely had a chance to look up from his buried axe. Ashi leaped off of a carved table and plunged her sword, with all of her weight behind it, deep into his back. The bugbear collapsed under her. She rolled off him, snatched back her sword, and whirled to face the others.
The unarmed one had seen her. He pointed, and the hammer wielder spun around, his weapon still raised over his head. Ashi thrust her sword up under his ribcage, then yanked it sharply out again. His mouth opened in a groan that never came, and he slumped backward.
The last bugbear, the one she had originally wounded, snatched up Aruget’s fallen sword. He backed away from her with fear in his eyes, sword held low to protect his belly from another blow. Ashi stalked after him, then lunged suddenly. Her first attack bashed the sword out of his hand. Her second pierced his right leg and he toppled over, screeching his pain. She reversed her sword, raised it — and a voice like the creaking of a door called out, “The Six curse you, Ashi of Deneith!”
Pain shot through her, as if someone had gathered all of her nerves in a fist and pulled hard on them. It ripped a scream from her, and she almost fell. She forced herself to stay on her feet, though, as she turned to face Pradoor.
The goblin priestess was on her knees, blood running in a dark red ribbon between her eyes. The expression on her face, however, was rapturous. “You try to defy Tariic,” Pradoor said. “You try to defy the will of the Six. But you won’t. You can’t. Tariic will bring in a new age, and Darguun will follow the power of the Six once more!”
It hurt to draw breath, but Ashi managed it. “The only power Tariic will allow in Darguun is him, Pradoor,” she spat. She dragged herself closer to the old goblin, raising her sword with shaking hands.
“Fool,” said Pradoor. “Tariic knows and fears the power of the Six-as should you!” She flung out a hand. Shadows flowed from the gesture.
The pain that shook Ashi seemed to intensify, sucking the strength from her limbs and driving her to the ground. Incredible weakness pressed against her. She couldn’t stay upright. She could barely breathe. She sank down against the soft carpet, her eyes level with Aruget’s.
The changeling looked disappointed in her.
Shuffling footsteps scuffed across the carpet behind her. Ashi tried to lift her head but couldn’t. Groping hands touched her shoulders, located her skull. Pradoor gasped with effort.
And something hard and heavy drove thought out of Ashi’s head.
A slap in the face woke her up.
Ashi started and opened her eyes to bright light. Shock rolled through her, and the habit she’d cultivated for weeks drove fear into her. It was morning. The sun had risen, and she hadn’t renewed the protection of her dragonmark No. She blinked and the light came into focus-an everbright lamp. She was lying on a cold, hard floor with the lantern close beside her, and someone was holding her arms up above her throbbing head. An open window in one wall showed the darkness of night beyond. Relief replaced shock. It wasn’t morning yet.
Then another slap hit her, and she saw who was striking her. Tariic stood over her, still in his tigerskin cloak, still wearing the spiked crown of Darguun, still carrying the Rod of Kings. He smelled of wine and meat as if he’d come straight from his feast.
The events of the night rushed over her. Tariic raised his hand for a third time.
“Do it,” Ashi said, “and I’ll bite you.”
He stomped down on her belly instead. Ashi convulsed and retched. Tariic stepped away from her. “You’re almost more trouble than you’re worth,” he growled. “Oraan is missing. I assume that changeling was him?”
Ashi twisted her neck to follow him. She wasn’t in his chambers anymore, that was certain. The room was small and cold. She could hear the night noises of the Rhukaan Draal, but they seemed distant. A room in one of Khaar Mbar’ost’s towers, she guessed. She lifted her head a little and looked down toward her feet.
Pradoor stood there. And Dagii.
Anger darkened the face of the young warlord of Mur Talaan, but he stood still and silent as Tariic paced the room. Ashi tipped her head back to see who held her. The last of Tariic’s three deaf bugbears bared his teeth at her.
Tariic’s foot thumped into her side, forcing a gasp out of her. “I asked you a question.”
She glared at him. “Yes,” she said.
“Was he Aruget?”
“Yes.”
“And you found out what I plan for Breland.”
She didn’t answer that. Tariic’s words had an effect on Dagii though. His face darkened even further, and his ears lay flat. “You have no honor,” he snarled at Tariic.
Ashi felt a moment of surprise. Dagii wasn’t under the control of the rod? What was he doing here, then?
He was there, she realized suddenly, because of her. Tariic didn’t need the rod to command Dagii right then. All he needed was her as his captive.
Tariic flipped Dagii a piece of paper. Ashi recognized the paper-no longer folded-that had been in her jacket. “The copy is terrible,” Tariic said, “but you should be able to make it out.”
Dagii bared his teeth as he scanned her roughly drawn map. He looked up at Tariic. “This is a violation of the Treaty of Thronehold-”
Tariic turned on him. “First,” he said, “don’t pretend you don’t already know.” He pointed at Ashi. “If Oraan was Aruget, then she hasn’t been as isolated as I thought she was. And if she wasn’t isolated, she was going to friends for help. Senen Dhakaan. You.” Dagii stiffened. Tariic sneered at him. “You should never lie, Dagii. You don’t have the talent for it.”
“Second,” he added, “you need to get used to the idea, because you’re leading the attack on New Cyre.”
Dagii’s ears flicked. “I won’t.”
“Your lhesh commands it.” Dagii said nothing. Tariic’s sneer returned. “At the feast tonight, you accepted my request to lead the Iron Fox out of Skullreave. If you already suspected that the defense against Valenar raiders was only an excuse, then why did you accept? You were willing to do your duty then. You swore an oath to do it.”