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convincing.”
    Something about her seriousness raised his hackles. “Why is that?”
    â€œBecause Alissians have the real thing.”

 
    â€œI never went for craps or blackjack or poker. If I want to take a gamble, I do it onstage.”
    â€”­ A RT OF I LLUSION, O CTOBER 6
    CHAPTER 3
    HAZARDS
    T wo weeks later, Quinn clung to the pommel while his mare plunged through the snow after Kiara’s. Chaudri rode behind him, followed by the packhorses. Logan brought up the rear.
    God, it’s cold here. He tried to pull his fur-­lined riding cloak tighter around him. The snow blanketed everything perfectly, like a Thomas Kincaid painting. And the air was completely still. There was only the sound of their horses’ hooves as they crunched into the snow.
    Kiara reined in suddenly. “Something’s wrong,” she said.
    Besides the fact we just walked through some kind of dimensional portal?
    But Quinn knew what she meant. He pushed down his hood for a better look around. They were on the top of a small rise, with tall, leafless trees towering above them. Wintry landscape fell away in every direction, into an endless sea of semi-­open forest. Not a trace of movement anywhere. Not a sound.
    â€œThere’s no wind,” he said. “Is that unusual?”
    â€œVery,” Logan said. He made some kind of hand signal to Kiara.
    â€œEarbuds,” she said softly, and pressed a finger to her ear to activate hers. Quinn fumbled off one of his gloves and activated his own. The tiny speaker crackled as it came to life. These little gems had come out of the company’s prototyping lab. Rechargeable, encrypted frequency, and a range of about two miles. You could even mutter into it and be heard clear as day.
    Kiara’s voice seemed to whisper right in Quinn’s ear. “We’re going to ride down into the trees for some cover. Keep your eyes open.”
    They set a good pace down the slope, but slowed as the trees thickened around them. Kiara took them along what appeared to be a game trail among the trees. When the cave had fallen from view, she halted. “Logan, check our backtrail.”
    He wheeled his horse and broke away from the track they’d been following, moving northwest to come at the cave from another angle.
    â€œApproaching the clearing,” came his voice, a baritone that buzzed in Quinn’s ear. “No sign of pursuit. No hiding our tracks, though. Should I lay some false trails?”
    â€œNot there. I don’t want you out in the open,” Kiara said. “It would be obvious that we’re headed south in any case.”
    â€œWho do you think might be after us?” Quinn asked.
    â€œHard to say. Could be a competitor, or the government. Or any number of protest groups that are constantly railing against the company and its practices.” She frowned, as if weighing a decision. “Logan, check the gate.”
    â€œYes, Lieutenant,” Logan said. A moment later he checked in again. “I’m in the cave. Looks clear.”
    â€œSet a ­couple of proxies,” Kiara told him.
    â€œAlready on it, Lieutenant,” Logan replied.
    Quinn looked at Chaudri and mouthed, “Proxies?”
    â€œProximity sensors, I think,” Chaudri said. “Infrared motion and heat detectors. They’ll go off if anyone comes after us.”
    Logan’s voice came again. “The gate is blocked.”
    â€œSay again?” Kiara said.
    â€œThe gateway is nonfunctional.”
    Quinn felt a stab of terror. He looked at Chaudri, who was wide-­eyed and probably thinking the same thing. No way back.
    Kiara pursed her lips. “Get back here right away,” she ordered.
    They waited in uncomfortable silence for half an hour, while the horses snorted white puffs of air. At last, Logan’s horse trotted into view.
    â€œSo?” Kiara asked.
    Logan shrugged. “I went to stick my head through the gate.