true. Every word of it is as true as a perfectly solved equation. I have seen a laboratory where slaves were murdered and their blood turned to wraithblood. I saw the nagataaru filling the sky, millions of them, more than I could count. Callatas has done many terrible things, and exponentially more are mathematically inevitable should we fail here.”
That seem to shake Malcolm more than anything else he had heard.
“How did you know I was here?” he said at last. “If Ragodan Strake told my wife that I was dead?”
“We didn’t,” said Caina. “She saw you in the Old Bazaar in Istarinmul a few weeks ago.”
“I was there to oversee iron purchases for the blast furnaces,” said Malcolm. “I was the only one Rolukhan trusted to do it right. None of his acolytes or the other Alchemists have an eye for proper iron. Of course, he sent me under heavy guard so I could not escape.”
Nerina pointed at Morgant. “I told you. I told you that I saw him.”
“I’m two hundred and six years old,” said Morgant. “A man of my age and dignity is entitled to a lapse of perception every so often.”
“You use your age as an excuse quite often, I note,” murmured Nasser.
“Two hundred and six?” said Malcolm.
Kylon and Azaces came back into sight.
“It’s done,” said Kylon. “We had best move. I…”
“Azaces!” said Nerina. “I was right. Malcolm is…”
Azaces remained motionless, his expression grim.
“You,” spat Malcolm, fury filling his voice as he stepped away from Nerina. “You treacherous, murderous dog. What are you doing here?”
Azaces gave no reaction, his face still solemn.
“Malcolm?” said Nerina.
Malcolm snarled, seized the broken axle from where Caina had dropped it, and charged at Azaces.
Azaces made no move to defend himself.
###
Kylon froze for an instant, his mind trying to catch up to the sight before him.
The short, muscular man charging at Azaces had to be Nerina’s husband. His emotional sense felt…off, somehow. As if it had been damaged, or perhaps constrained. Nerina had said her husband’s mind had been damaged so he could not speak falsehood, and Kylon had sensed similar things from victims of mind-altering sorcery in the past.
Right now rage flushed Malcolm’s sense, filling it like molten iron in a furnace.
Azaces bowed his head. There had been grief and regret in him before, but now they swelled out of control, holding him immobile as Malcolm raised the broken axle to crack Azaces’s skull.
“Kylon!” said Caina.
Kylon moved, the sorcery of air lending him speed. He caught Malcolm’s right wrist and twisted, the bar falling from the disheveled man’s hand. Malcolm snarled and drove his left fist around, and Kylon ducked. Malcolm was stronger than Kylon, strong as only a smith could be, but Kylon had better leverage and could draw upon the sorcery of water.
He twisted again, and Malcolm fell to his knees with a grunt.
“Stop!” shouted Nerina, running towards him. “Stop, you’ll hurt him!”
Azaces remained motionless through the entire fight.
Kylon released Malcolm and stepped back, his hand lingering near his sword hilt.
“What are you doing?” said Nerina, dropping to her knees next to Malcolm. “Azaces helped me! He spent the last few years looking after me. He saved my life, he took me to the Sisterhood of the Living Flame to help me stop taking wraithblood…”
“He’s the one who kidnapped me,” said Malcolm, glaring at Azaces.
Azaces did nothing.
“What?” whispered Nerina.
“Who did you think did Ragodan’s dirty work for him?” said Malcolm. “He did. He was Ragodan’s loyal dog for years. He got you started on wraithblood. Ragodan gave him money to purchase wraithblood, and Azaces put it into your food.”
“No,” said Nerina, shaking her head.
“It is true,” said Malcolm, glaring at Azaces. “You know I cannot lie. To you, or to anyone else.”
“Azaces?” said Nerina.
The big man nodded, once.
Nerina swallowed and looked away. “He…he had to do it. He didn’t have any choice. I couldn’t say no to Father, either. He…”
“He also kidnapped me and sold me to Rolukhan,” said Malcolm. “He and a few other of Ragodan’s dogs, not long after we were married. I was on my way to the docks of the Cyrican Harbor, and Azaces snatched me off the street. Ragodan himself gloated over me for a while, and then sold me to Rolukhan in person. He said that you would be told that I was dead, and that was that.”
For a long moment no one said anything.
“Is that,” whispered Nerina, “is that true?”
Again Azaces nodded once, his regret roiling against Kylon’s senses.
“You knew?” said Nerina. “All