When Colonel Harvey's office door shut behind her, Magdala's stomach clenched. The garrison commander's expression was that of a woman who'd heard pleasurable news, but Magdala had seen a similar look on her own mother's face and knew it heralded a 3 hour lecture. The fact that Mei, Saundra, and Sir Marcus were here to witness didn't make her feel any better.

Steepling her fingers in front of her, Colonel Harvey sat back in her seat. "Lady Gallus, brief me on the state of your investigation."

As Magdala described the events of the past few hours, starting with her discovery in the infirmary and finishing with the battle in the shop, the colonel's calm countenance gave way to smoldering anger.

When Magdala finished talking, Colonel Harvey closed her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. "Who do you think you are?"

Magdala's jaw dropped. "Pardon?"

"You heard me. Who do you think you are?" Colonel Harvey smiled. "First, allow me to commend your ability to cast difficult magic in a critical situation. Because of that, Mei's markmanship, and Corporal Taylor's heroics, the three of you escaped a situation that, frankly, I would have had trouble with." She clapped. "I'm impressed. Good job." Her hands went still. "But I must return to my question. Lady Gallus, who do you think you are? You entered a hostile location alone, taking neither the enthusiastic bodyguard I'd assigned you nor the exceptional hunter that you've been traveling with. Instead, you tricked them both and left them behind."

Magdala's cheeks burned. "I believed I could handle it."

The colonel rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Between you and that idiot Huan-"

"What happened?" Mei's posture was stiff, and her lip was trembling.

Colonel Harvey glanced at Mei. "Your brother tracked down the enemy alone and got himself gutted for his trouble." She sighed. "Foolish boy."

"Where is he?"

The colonel's face softened. "He's being taken care of. Sir Marcus will take you to him."

After Mei let Sir Marcus lead her out of the office, the colonel's ire refocused on a quailing Magdala. "Why did you think that you could handle it alone? Put aside the fact that, by your own admission, it was Corporal Taylor's familiarity of the city and Mei's ingenuity that got you to the scene in the first place, and remind me why you thought you could take down a creature that nearly killed your lord uncle all by yourself."

"I was just trying to keep Corporal Taylor and Mei safe."

"What?" Saundra's eyes widened when she realized she'd spoken out of turn, but Colonel Harvey nodded, and so she pressed on. "Milady, it's my job to protect you. If me and Mei hadn't caught up to you, those things would have ripped you apart, and we'd have to search the whole city just to maybe find pieces of you."

Magdala's lips pursed. "I would have found some way out."

Saundra's face reddened. "Oh, so we're holding you back?"

"No, but-"

"Enough."

At Colonel Harvey's command, both girls sank into sullen silence.

Colonel Harvey's fingers came together. "You're smart and more than capable of making good, sound decisions, and so one last time now: who do you think you are?"

Magdala tried to grab for her cloak, but it was ash and cinders now. "I'm my mother's daughter. She could have handled that whole situation alone."

"I wonder about that." The colonel tapped a short sheaf of papers lying on her desk. "This is Lady Pol's account of what happened at Yumma. Despite her well known dislike of your lord uncle, she credits you and him for getting her out of that place alive. That's a powerful mage, possibly the next Wind Sage, admitting that she needed help. Do you think she could have handled that situation alone? Could your lord uncle have?"

Had Mei, Huan, and Dwayne's efforts been left out of Lady Pol's account? Magdala pushed the question aside and came up with a response to Colonel Harvey's last question. "My lord uncle can't walk down the street without help, ma'am."

Colonel Harvey spread her hands wide. "And yet he's one of the most powerful mages in Soura. Consider that perhaps your mother, as powerful as she is, is still only human. Perhaps, she needs help sometimes too."

Magdala very much doubted this, but before she could say so, the door burst open, and Galkin and a Wesen boy charged into the room. The latter was covered in what Magdala seriously hoped was just dirt, though he filled the room with the stink of horse manure and rotted hay. The Wesen boy approached, but Saundra jumped between them, hand on her sword.

The boy smiled at Magdala. "You're alive! They said that monsters attacked you."

Saundra's hand tightened on her sword hilt. "Who are you? How'd you get in here?"

The steward sighed. "My lord, I did suggest a bath and a change of clothes first. Even soldiers prefer to be clean."

The boy looked down and groaned. "It's just... I wanted to be sure you were okay."

"Dwayne?" Magdala looked him over. "What happened to you? Were you attacked?" She sniffed. "By a load of horse dung?"

"No, I was showing off. Are you hurt? What happened?"

Saundra pushed Dwayne back with one hand. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to-"

Colonel Harvey yawned. "This morning I received a ridiculous letter from Lord Gallus stating that that boy you're pushing, Corporal, is Lord Kalan's apprentice and the heir to Walcrest, and so I assume he's here because of the alarm bells, not to assault our noses."

Dwayne faced Colonel Harvey. "Baron, I'm going to need details of what happened."

The colonel inspected her fingernails. "Lady Gallus here can fill you in as well as that fool Huan. He should be with your master."

Dwayne's jaw clenched. "Galkin, can you get Huan's statement?"

"Immediately, my lord."

When the door had closed behind the steward, Colonel Harvey asked Dwayne, "Are you sure that you can trust him? I don't like the look of him."

Dwayne gave her a flat look. "That is between Lord Kalan, myself, and him."

Colonel Harvey raised an eyebrow. "Someone is growing a bit big for his breeches. If the lynchpin of the Southern Line died, it would be a blow to this kingdom. It's bad enough he leaves his post for months chasing rumors and stealing slaves."

Magdala scoffed. "My lord uncle paid for Dwayne fair and square."

The colonel laughed. "Right. Is there anything else, Master Dwayne?"

Dwayne stood still, his rage balling his hands into fists.

Colonel Harvey shook her head. "Just like the rest of your race. No self control."

Dwayne's fists tightened then loosened. "I would like to remind you that Lord Gallus is coming to this garrison for an inspection."

"I do not require a reminder."

Dwayne smiled. "Good. Then we can discuss arrangements for his reception tomorrow morning."

Colonel Harvey frowned. "And why should I bother?"

Magdala put her hands on her hips. "Because you want to impress my father. We all do."

The colonel's jaw worked. "Fine. Come early. I have a lot of work and very little time."

"I appreciate it." Dwayne turned on his heel and left the room.

Colonel Harvey waved Saundra and Magdala away. "You're dismissed."

After Magdala and Saundra fled into the darkened corridor, the corporal dried her hands on her trousers. "That was scary."

Magdala looked around, but Dwayne was nowhere to be found. She leaned against the wall. "What am I going to do now?"

"Go to bed?" Saundra asked. "Or you could hang out at the barracks."

"No, I meant... how am I going to continue the investigation?"

Saundra stared at Magdala. "You want to keep going?"

"There were dozens of those things," said Magdala. "We can't stop. Where was she even getting all of those corpses from? Aren't corpses cremated to prevent this exact thing from happening?"

"Yeah, there are fire pits just outside of Walton, but-"

"Then unless they're getting corpses from deep within Soura or tossing them over the wall from Vanuria, there's no way there'd be that many corpses available to revive. Tomorrow, I'm going to those pits. Let's see if that yields another lead."

Saundra nodded. "I'm coming with you."

"I don't need your help."

Saundra crossed her arms. "I'm not letting you out of my sight, milady. Where you go, I go."

***

A plain gray stone ceiling and bandages that were so tight that he could hardly breathe greeted Huan when he woke up. He sat up, retched, and curled up as a wave of pain broke against his skull. When it passed, he lay back in the bed, his sweat soaking his sheets. He frowned. Tiger?

Sitting up again, Huan snatched at his neck and found that Tiger's mask was still there. Slumping back, he closed his eyes and found the beast resting deep in a dark corner of his mind.

When Huan's attention brushed against it, Tiger growled. Wounded. Weak.

Huan retched again and endured another wave of pain. Zeya's knives had probably been poisoned or something. He'd catch up to her after- Where am I?

He managed to sit up without retching. The room he was in was small, with two lit lamps, no windows, two wooden chairs, a nightstand, and another bed that was... occupied? Huan peered at his roommate and then let out a bark of laughter. It was his sponsor, Lord Kalan, now looking a little better than he had two nights ago. So this is where he's been.

The door opened. "Good, you're awake." Sir Marcus strode into the room.

Huan opened his mouth to say something witty, but then his sister walked in, her clothes covered in soot and ash. She stepped past Sir Marcus, pulled up one of the chairs, and perched in its seat like a bird on a branch.

Huan gripped his sheets, and Tiger stirred. "What happened?"

Mei smelled of death, fire, and magic.

His sister's eyes drooped. "We tried to track down the thing that attacked him." She pointed to Lord Kalan. "We found moving dead instead."

What? Huan's grip on his sheets tightened. "Why are you helping these people?"

"These people, eh?" Sir Marcus sat down in the other chair.

Huan glared at the knight. "Yeah, 'these people'. Your problems are not our problems. She should be free and hunting, not getting into fights with moving dead."

Sir Marcus's anger curled his fists and clenched his jaw, but he forced it away, his eyebrows drawing together. "How are you feeling?"

Huan looked down. "Sore and hurt." What's his angle?

The knight chuckled. "Understandable. So, what did you learn?"

"There's a woman, a mage, behind all of this, and she lives on the edge of town. If you hurry, you should be able to catch her before-"

"That wasn't what I meant." Sir Marcus leaned forward. "I meant 'Did you learn anything that you could improve on?' What would you do differently the next time you're in that situation?"

Huan's head came up, and he met the knight's eyes with his own. "Bring my sword."

"Do you need a sword?" asked Sir Marcus. "You have that." He pointed to Tiger's mask.

Tiger's growl rumbled in Huan's throat, but Mei was watching Huan like a hawk. Even shaking from exhaustion, she wasn't going to let the beast have his way.

Sir Marcus sat back in his chair. "By the way, we had to say that your mask was a religious artifact so they wouldn't cut it off of you. I didn't want you to bite them. That mask has a mind of its own... So, anything else?"

Huan rolled his eyes, a motion that made his head throb. "With the benefit of hindsight, I'd definitely double check for people sneaking up on me."

The knight searched Huan's face. "That's it?"

"That's it." Huan crossed his arms. "Did I pass?"

Sir Marcus's eyes narrowed. "No, you did not. After all, you missed your biggest mistake: you didn't ask for help."

Huan scowled and flopped back onto the bed. "I handled it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" The quaver in Mei's voice stabbed into Huan's heart. "I could have helped."

Huan sat up again, tried to meet his sister's eyes, and couldn't. "It's... I'll tell you about it later. It's just I saw an opportunity and I took it."

"And since you didn't tell anyone else about this 'opportunity'," said Sir Marcus, "the culprit got away, leaving you holding your guts in the street. Was that fair to Barty? To your sister? To yourself?"

Huan jutted out his jaw. "What does fair have to do with it? I can do what I want with my life."

Sir Marcus's eyes hardened. "In that case, Barty should withdraw his sponsorship, and I'll arrest you for traveling within Soura's borders without permission. Mei here would either have to let you rot in jail, try to find you a new sponsor, or break you out. You said she should be free. Would she if you lost your sponsorship?"

Huan smirked. "That's nothing. I've been to jail. I can handle it."

"And if she fails, you'll be back in Tuqu. I've never seen anything like that mask before, but something that makes people fight like beasts sounds like their kind of magic, and I'm betting they'll want it back. Am I wrong?"

Blood drained from Huan's face, and he looked away.

"Right." Sir Marcus turned to Mei. "Are you going to stay?"

Mei mumbled something.

"Good." Sir Marcus stood up and patted Mei on the back. "Make sure you get some sleep. We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

He left Huan with his little sister and a comatose man.

After sneaking a glance at the noble mage to make sure he was asleep, Huan whispered, "I think we can escape to Vanuria."

"Why?"

Huan's head jerked back. "Y-You don't want to live under their thumb forever, do you? Emperor's tits, Sir Marcus just threatened us!"

Mei hugged her legs to her chest. "I don't want to leave."

"It'll be better across the border. There'll be lots of new animals to hunt, and we'll be able to do whatever we want."

"How do you know that?"

Huan gave Mei a look. "It has to be better than here."

Mei shook her head. "Dwayne doesn't think so. He hates Vanuria."

Huan's stomach clenched. "Are you going to trust him over me?"

"No, but-"

"Then it's settled."

His sister went still, her body fading into the shadows cast by the lamps. When she spoke, her voice was barely louder than the flickering flames. "Why did you hunt alone?"

Huan threw his hands up. "You're not going to scold me too, are you? I saw an opportunity and I took it."

Mei unfolded from the chair, stood up, and looked Huan in the eye. "You could have died. You didn't tell anyone. Not Dwayne. Not Marcus. Not me."

Huan winced. "It's- It's just that it's my problem not yours. That thing, that wraith, stole my passport. I have to get it back."

Mei rubbed her forehead. "Dwayne can get you another one."

Huan grit his teeth. "I'm not asking him for help. I can't show him weakness." Not again.

"I don't understand."

"You nev-!" Huan stopped himself and took a deep breath. "Give me some time, and just go along with whatever they want for now. I'll get us out of this. Don't worry."

"Okay," Mei said. Then she left.

After the door had closed behind her, Huan glanced at the nightstand. A fresh change of clothes had been set there along with Liraya's map and a unfamiliar knife. Picking the knife up by its black handle, he studied it, weighing its heft, and feeling its serrated edge with his fingers. Then his arm twinged, and he remembered where the knife had come from. Zeya.

Why didn't it disappear like the others? Is there a limit to her power?

That didn't sound right, but if it meant Zeya had one less knife when they fought next, he wasn't going to complain. Ignoring the swimming room and the shooting pain, Huan slid out of bed, dressed in the plain tunic and trousers, and stumbled to the door. I'm going to chase down that witch and get her to tell me more about Vanuria.

He opened the door, and the posh steward of Walcrest strode in.

The steward blinked. "Ah, you were leaving?"

Huan turned his grimace into a smile. "I was headed to the bathroom."

The steward's eyes flickered up and down. "Then I'll help you. Those wounds look particularly grievous."

"Thanks." Damn it.

After the steward had put Huan's right arm around his shoulders, Huan looked up and jolted back. His sister was standing guard outside of the room, her eyebrow raised, an axe ready.

Where'd she get that? Huan gave her a half-shrug. "Gotta use the bathroom."

Galkin started down the corridor, practically dragging Huan with him. "Young Master Dwayne wants a report of what happened tonight."

Between the steward and Mei, Huan couldn't find a way to escape and track down Liraya. He covered his sigh with a smirk. "Well, I am a great tracker, and so first I found the trail of the wraith that attacked us..."

***

A half hour later, Mei watched her older brother pretend to sleep. Huan had already tried to trick her once by snoring so loudly it should have roused Lord Kalan from his coma, but it hadn't been his best effort, and since Mei had spent her whole life sleeping within earshot of him, she hadn't been fooled. Now, Huan's breathing slowed, and he became dormant, but his hands were pressing down on the sheets, ready to push him upright as soon as Mei left. This was the beast's attempt. It thought it could just lie still, and she'd go away, but Mei tapped the head of her axe with her finger, the soft sound making Huan twitch.

When she did it again, he groaned. "Stop that."

Mei laid the axe across her lap and waited. This late at night the kitchens and the workshops that filled the air with activity during the day were silent, and so her brother's steady breathing was audible. It softened for a moment then grew steady. Huan's hands even relaxed, but his shoulders stayed tense. He was trying to hear when she left. Mei allowed herself a small smile and tapped her axe head again.

Huan opened his eyes. "You're not going to leave, are you?"

Mei shook her head.

He scowled. "Fine! I'll go to sleep."

He closed his eyes. After many minutes, his breathing slowed, his hands went limp, and his shoulders dropped. When he started to snore softly, Mei let out a breath and stood up. He didn't move. She raised her axe, and he kept snoring, no anger from the insult, no fear from the threat interrupting his rest. Satisfied, Mei slipped out of the room and eased the door closed behind her.

"Good call." Rodion Galkin was leaning against the wall across from the door. "He seems like the sort to sneak out of bed and do something foolish."

Mei went rigid. She hadn't sensed him at all. Where Tiger would have reduced his presence or her brother would have relied on distraction, the steward had somehow faded into the background. It was unsettling.

She took her hand from her axe, which she'd grabbed without noticing. "Why are you here?"

Rodion pushed away from the wall, meeting Mei's eyes with his own. "I found some aspects of your brother's story confusing. I have some experience with those creatures, and the idea that a lone human could stand against them for any length of time, particularly weaponless, is hard to believe."

With a noncommittal grunt, Mei walked away.

The steward followed. "Since you've fought these creatures yourself, you understand, right? Taking them on alone would be a difficult, if not impossible, task."

Mei walked faster.

The steward increased his pace. "Miss Ma, I-"

"Why are you following me?" Mei stopped and turn to face the steward, who stopped two steps away from her and bowed.

"It is my job to keep track of all of Walcrest's guests," he said. "Although you're staying here in the garrison, you are still under Lord Kalan's protection, and so it is my responsibility to make sure you're taken care of. That includes your safety."

"We can handle ourselves."

Rodion's eyes flicked to Mei's rifle. "I can see that."

Mei stepped back from him. "Then go away."

"I was just wondering if your brother missed anything."

Mei's hand dropped to her axe. "You-"

"Mei? Galkin?" Dwayne emerged from the other end of the corridor, freshly bathed and in new clothes. "What's going on?" He stepped back from Mei's glare.

"Master Dwayne." Rodion bowed. "I was just on my way back to deliver my report."

The Wesen mage nodded slowly. "Ah, okay." He turned to Mei. "Have you seen Magdala? I wanted to tell her something crucial about Fo magic. It's important."

Mei's eyes didn't leave the steward as she answered, "I do not know where she is."

"Oh, okay." Dwayne was still inching back from Mei.

Sighing, She removed her hand from her axe. She had to stop acting like a cornered beast, lashing out instead of thinking. "Sorry."

Dwayne relaxed a fraction. "It's been a long day for all of us, and I'm sorry I haven't been more help with that. I know you two can handle it. How is Huan?"

"Hurt. Sleeping."

"I hope he gets better." Dwayne rubbed his temples. "There's still so much to do up at the estate before Lord Gallus's arrival. Hopefully, we can get the stables cleaned out by tomorrow."

"Mister Forster has been helpful?" asked Galkin.

Mei's eyes slid to door of Huan's room. It stayed closed.

"Considering that he's just one man. We still need, what was it, five people to muck out the stables."

Galkin bowed. "As you wish, my lord."

Dwayne nodded and said, "Mei, please join us for breakfast tomorrow."

Mei refocused on the Wesen mage and nodded. "I'll try."

Dwayne smiled. "Magdala would like that. See you then." He and Galkin disappeared down the corridor, leaving Mei alone.

She stepped towards Huan's door, but then turned to the barracks instead. Passing the courtyard, she caught sight of two soldiers in fitted leather armor who were receiving a scroll. After a quick salute, they spoke a word, and wind gathered at their feet and lifted them into the night sky. Her mouth open, Mei watched them rise higher and higher into the air, then jet east along the Southern Line. Magdala had told her about fighting off flying bandits with Dwayne, but even after Yumma that had sounded ridiculous to Mei. Now Mei wondered, what would it be like to fly?

"There you are!" Maggie and Saundra ran up to her.

Mei pointed to the shadows against the moon. "Can you fly like that?" she asked Maggie.

Maggie looked up and squinted. "Oh, windsong flyers." She shook her head. "I wish. They carry messages and the like, and they get to see so many things."

"Those two are the only ones we've got," said Saundra. "Ole Harvey's really taking this seriously." She turned to Mei, grinning. "Milady had an idea."

"I can go by myself," whined Maggie.

Mei turned to her friends. "What idea?"

"She's going to check out the cremation pits," said Saundra.

Mei raised an eyebrow. "Is that dangerous?"

"I'm right. Here." Maggie composed herself. "It's safe. It's just where they burn dead bodies."

Tapping her axe with a finger, Mei considered this. "There is also the place my brother found."

"What place?"

Mei told Maggie and Saundra Huan's report, leaving out any details about Tiger's mask.

Like Galkin, Saundra was skeptical. "Your brother lost to just one of those things before, and then he was able to get away from two of them and their master? I don't believe it."

Maggie rubbed her chin. "He has... ways. I could go check out-"

"No."

Saundra and Mei's united refusal caught Maggie off guard.

She tried a smile to placate them. "There's no way that the enemy stayed there after Huan escaped. That location is compromised. It'll be perfectly safe."

Saundra shook her head. "More likely it'll be full of booby traps like the shop. No, milady."

"I'll go," said Mei.

Saundra winced. "That's not better. I'm sure you can take down a lot of those things-" Her eyes slid to Mei's rifle. "-but please, take someone with you."

"Okay."

Saundra's mouth fell open. "Really? You don't mind?"

"No." Mei cocked her head to one side. "Why would I?"

"So you'll be going with Mei?" Maggie asked Saundra.

"No, I'll ask Sir Pollum to send someone else." Saundra stood straighter. "I'm a corporal after all. I can requisition resources. Assuming that's what that means."

"Dwayne was looking for you," said Mei to Maggie. "He invited me to breakfast."

Maggie's lips pursed. "He should be far too busy to-"

"I'll be there."

Maggie flushed. "I was going to go to the cremation pits first thing in the morning though."

Saundra grinned. "Breakfast is more important, milady."