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then clenched the hand into a fist.
    “That man’s the Darkhand’s apprentice,” Kyle said, craning his neck. “He’s robbed several of my caravans already, and…damn it, I can’t see him anymore!”
    His two bodyguards, who’d been lurking against the side of the mansion so their master could bargain and banter in privacy, saw his distress and hurried over.
    “What is the matter?” asked Green.
    “Thren’s here,” said Kyle.
    “Bertram let him in?” asked Brown.
    “Or he climbed the wall,” said Green.
    “It doesn’t matter,” Kyle said. “We have to leave, now. He made his intentions quite clear. He wants my ring. He wants the Heart of Ker!”
    “Calm down,” Marion said, pulling her hand free of his. “You don’t know that. He just said it was a nice ring. Even if that was Thren, and he’s here to rob people, there’s hundreds here whose purses he might take instead.”
    “He was mocking me, you stupid woman,” Kyle said. “What do we do, what do we do?”
    “We should leave,” Green said.
    “There are two days left, I can’t leave yet,” Kyle said. “Safe, we have to get somewhere safe until I can talk to Bertram in private, let that idiot know his security isn’t doing its damn job.”
    “To your room then,” said Brown.
    Marion was more dragged than led through the party toward the main entrance of the mansion. The doors were propped open, and inside the halls she saw plenty more people scurrying about. Stairs immediately before her led to the higher floor, and Kyle took them without hesitating. At the top, an older man and his wife were coming down. Kyle paused for a moment to smile and intrude into their conversation.
    “Bartholomew, old friend,” said Kyle. “Forgive my hurry, but I’d love to talk later. Tell me, which room is yours so I may visit when things calm down later tonight?”
    “First on your left once you reach the end of the hall,” said the gray-haired man. “And try not to come too late. Once these old bones get a bit of alcohol into them, sleep doesn’t lurk far behind.”
    Kyle laughed, and Marion did her best to put on a pleasing face.
    “Come on,” Kyle said once they were past. Down the hall they walked, then turned left. At the first in a sea of doors they stopped, and Kyle checked the knob.
    “Locked,” he said, stepping aside so one of his bodyguards could slide forward. She pulled two thin wires from her pocket and, kneeling down, inserted both into the lock.
    “We’re breaking into the old man’s room?” Marion asked, raising an eyebrow.
    “I’d rather think of it as switching rooms until I can be assured of my safety,” Kyle said.
    With a click the lock tumbled, and the bodyguard pushed open the door. Together they stepped into a well-furnished room, the grand bed covered with seemingly endless number of blankets, great curtains furled before two large windows. Marion wrinkled her nose as behind her Green shut the door and relocked it.
    “Smells like…something,” she said. “Like dusty clothes in a dustier closet.”
    “For once will you stop complaining!” Kyle yelled, whirling on her. Marion took a step back, and she averted her gaze.
    “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I fear I erred in talking to Thren and put us all in danger. Please forgive me.”
    When he said nothing she took a step forward and kissed his cheek.
    “Very sorry,” she whispered.
    Kyle cleared his throat, looked to his bodyguards.
    “Thren’ll come back when it’s dark,” he said. “Either that, or try to strike now while there’s so many people milling about. We’ll hunker down here until morning, then find Bertram.”
    “I could go now,” Green said. “Thren is but a young fool. We do not need two of us to protect you from him.”
    “No,” Kyle said as Marion slipped from his arms and walked to the window. “No, I will not leave myself vulnerable for even a second.”
    Marion undid the latch holding the windows shut and then pushed them