“I can’t go,” said Llian. “Not when Sulien —”

“You can’t protect her from the magiz. But if you can find out where the summon stone is, and what it is, someone might be able to keep the Merdrun out.”

“It would be expensive. Food. Inns. Stabling for my horse.”

“There’s coin enough… just.”

“What if I get there… and Thandiwe tries to cozen me… and the drumming starts again.”

“You’ll resist it,” she said as steadily as she could. The irony was sickening. “I trust you.”

She would trust him, even if she had to force herself. But Thandiwe would stalk him and ply him with drinks and flattery, and flourish her ripe body in his face… and surely, sooner or later, under the influence of the drumming, Llian would crack. If he did, Karan would never get him back. How would she explain that to Sulien?

But then, how would she explain it if Maigraith decided to avenge Rulke? “I want you to go,” she said softly. “Right now.”

He looked stunned. Though not as stunned as she felt. Karan felt as though she’d been beaten with a club.

“There’s no point getting there after Wistan is dead and the vote has been held,” she added. “She’ll owe you nothing.”

“I can’t leave with Sulien in such a state.”

“It’s only seven weeks until the invasion.” Panic surged. Time was running out yet things were getting worse, not better. “I’ll look after her. She’ll understand.”

“No, she’ll feel that I’ve let her down when she most needed me, and she’ll be right.”

“You’ve got to go.”

She peered between the orange trees towards the track to Tolryme. There was no sign of riders but the knot in her belly did not go away. Maigraith would be back.

“It’s as though you’re trying to get rid of me,” Llian muttered. “What’s going on?”

He was quick! “Nothing,” Karan lied. “Go!”

“What, now?”

“Yes.”

“All… all right.”

Gloom settled over her. She stood up. “We’d better tell Sulien.”

“I can’t bear to leave her like this. Why don’t you come too?”

Karan wanted to, but it was impossible. “The harvest has to be got in and we’re short-handed as it is. Then there’s all the preserving and drying and smoking and pickling to be done for the winter.”

“We might not be here by then.”

If the invasion succeeded, they might all be dead. “Our farm workers still have to eat.”

His face sagged.

“But in six weeks or so,” said Karan, “we could think about coming. Let’s go up and tell Sulien.”

“Tell me what?” said Sulien, coming in.

“I’ve got to go to Chanthed right away,” Llian said dully.

Her green eyes flashed. “Why?”

“It’s his best chance to get the ban lifted,” said Karan.

“I don’t want you to go,” said Sulien.

“I don’t want to go either,” said Llian.

“You must!” said Karan.

Sulien swung around to Karan, fists on her hips. “You’re sending Daddy away? Because of Maigraith?”

She was her father’s daughter, no doubt about it. “It’s nothing to do with her,” Karan lied. “Llian, go and get ready.”

An hour later, he rode off. Sulien was inconsolable. “Why did you send Daddy away?” she screamed.

“I didn’t,” said Karan, feeling sick.

“Yes, you did. I hate everything! This is the worst day of my life.”

Sulien fled to her room and slammed the door. Karan stood by the track, all alone, tears flooding down her cheeks. She had never felt more alone, empty and burdened. At the crest of the rise Llian stood up in his stirrups, waving so furiously that he almost fell off. Clumsy oaf! She smiled sadly. Then he disappeared and she was wrenched in two. Would he even survive the trip?

She wiped her face and went to the kitchen, where she tried to distract herself by cleaning and blacking the vast iron stove. It did not help. Two hours later she heard the drumming again, very faintly, and ten minutes after that Maigraith was back, alone.

“What do you want?” Karan snarled.

“Where has Llian gone?”

Karan put down her brush and the jar of blacking in case she was tempted to decorate Maigraith’s face. “To Chanthed. Something came up and he had to go at once.”

“I suppose it makes it easier,” said Maigraith.

Karan felt that she was not displeased. Perhaps she had manipulated things to this end. Maigraith had been taught by Faelamor, the greatest manipulator of all time.

“No!” said Karan. “Whatever the question is.”

“I want Sulien to come and live with me for six months – even a year. She’s a gifted child but she needs discipline.”

Karan stared at her, open-mouthed. Only Maigraith could say such a thing.

“Julken murdered Piffle. He’s a vicious brat and I wouldn’t send Sulien to live with you and him for a day to save my own life.”

Maigraith’s lips compressed to a hard line. “Julken won’t be there. I’ve sent him to Garching Nod.”

“What’s that?”

“The best mancery school in the west. It’s a hundred and fifty leagues away. He needs discipline and he’s too old to live with his mother; he’s got to become a man. He won’t be back for a year and a half.”

The pain in Karan’s chest was so bad that she could have been having a heart attack. “I don’t understand why you want Sulien to live with you.”

“You and I were the only two triunes in the world,” said Maigraith. “You bear the blood of Aachim, Faellem and old humans, and I’m descended from Charon, Faellem and old humans. We’re unique, Karan! No one can understand what we’ve been through and who we are.”

“Sulien is the only child I’ll ever have; I can’t bear to be parted from her.”

Then Karan hesitated. Maigraith had been a brilliant mancer even before Rulke gifted her with much of his own art. If anyone could protect Sulien against the magiz, she could. But could Maigraith protect her against Julken? Blind as she was to his flaws, would she even see the danger? Karan could not take the risk – there were worse things than death.

Maigraith reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a heavy leather bag. She weighed it in her hand, pursed her lips, then drew out another the same size.

“Things are desperate. You’re close to losing Gothryme, and Llian will be in the arms of that curly-haired trollop within the week. I’m your only hope.” She put the two bags on the kitchen table. “Five hundred gold tells in each. Enough to pay your debts, recapitalise the estate and still have a full bag left over.”

Despite her penury, Karan wasn’t tempted. It was a struggle to restrain herself from punching Maigraith in the face but she had to stay calm for Sulien’s sake.

“How dare you try to buy my daughter?” she said with icy fury.

“What are you talking about?” Maigraith seemed genuinely bewildered. “I want us to be a triune family, and families look after one another.”

“How would you know? You never had a proper family.”

“All the more reason that I would want one now.”

“You’re not getting mine.” Karan picked up the bags and threw them out the door. “Go, and take your bags of gold with you.”

Maigraith picked them up and rode away without a word. Karan had not heard the drumming but she felt sure Maigraith was being affected by it. The summon stone was working on her too.