Casket of Souls

to finally get some sleep?”
    “The sleeping death has struck in the Ring, and the Street of Lights,” Seregil told him, brushing past. “It’s Myrhichia.”
    The wizard sank down on a stool by one of the workbenches. “I’m so sorry!”
    “We think we may have found something about the sleeping death. There are strange beggar folk trading with people in the Ring and Lower City,” Alec told him. “People there call them the raven folk.”
    “Given their taste in trades,” Seregil explained. “They barter for bits of hair, broken toys, and the like.
    Thero raised an eyebrow. “Trades?”
    Alec tried to rein in his impatience. “Yes. We’ve seen and heard of several children and some adults stricken with the disease, or magic, or whatever you want to call it. Many of them were known to have made a trade of some sort with the ravens.”
    “I understand that. But—”
    “We mostly see Reltheus and Malthus during the evening,” Alec rushed on. “And we haven’t heard from Elani in days. We may have fallen out of favor already.”
    “I doubt that. But why are you here? Shouldn’t you be talking to Valerius?”
    “He knows. He sent us into the Ring.”
    “You’re
working
for him? Seregil—”
    “We’ll keep up with our social life and any spying you need done by night, and look for the raven folk by day.”
    “Prince Korathan wants this,” Alec added. “It’s a matter of—of—”
    “Civic security,” Seregil finished for him. “If there’s a panic and this is a disease of some sort, then people will flee in droves, carrying it out to spread across the countryside. We have Kepi watching Reltheus for now.”
    Thero rubbed a hand wearily across his eyes. “I don’t like this, especially now that they appear to be killing each other off.”
    “There’s been another death?”
    “Yes. Countess Alarhichia.”
    “Her name hasn’t come up,” said Alec.
    “No, but she’s a known friend of Duke Reltheus, and another member of the court. Considering the suddenness of her death, I think we should at least consider it another act of retribution. In the meantime, various nobles are retreating to their country estates.”
    “Any of our conspirators?” asked Seregil.
    “Marquise Lania and Earl Stenmir.”
    “Do you think Korathan will send Elani away?” asked Alec.
    “Not yet. I’m sure he knows that would start a full-blown panic. You
must
hurry.”
    “I know, Thero, but we can’t abandon Eirual and Myrhichia, either, and we won’t,” said Seregil. “We’ll manage. Neither side seems to be doing anything very dangerous at the moment, anyway. I wonder if Korathan sending General Sarien away has had a chilling effect?”
    “Possibly.” Thero seemed to be about to say something as they rose to go, but instead just shook his head. “Get hold of one of those traded items and bring it to me. I’ll see if I can make out anything from it.”
    “Thank you,” said Seregil. “We mean to do just that.”
    “What now?” Alec asked as they made their way down through the atrium.
    “We’d better go see Eirual. Then we’ve got to catch a raven and see if we can make it talk.”
    It was eerie to see the pink lanterns over the door of Eirual’s brothel dark, and no warm light spilling from the windows. She’d given out word that they had summer fever in the house, and Valerius had convinced Korathan not to raise the alarm yet, on the condition that the house remained closed to trade.
    “How is she, Manius?” Seregil asked as the man led them through the empty salon to the stairs.
    “Myrhichia is just the same, and the other girls are frightened,” the servant replied, lighting a candle for them. “We’re all frightened for Lady Eirual, too. She hasn’t left Myrhichia’s side for a moment, sleeps in the same bed with her, and hardly eats a thing.”
    “Send up a tray of cold food. I’ll see what I can do.”
    It had only been a few days since they’d seen Eirual, but the change in her was startling. Dressed in a plain dark gown, she sat curled in a chair by the bedside with a book open but ignored on her lap. Her dark curls were loose around her shoulders and her violet eyes had a sunken, bruised look. It had been years since Seregil had seen her without her face made up, and it saddened him to see the little telltale signs ofage around her eyes and mouth. The look of hope in her eyes as they entered broke his heart.
    “Anything?” she asked.
    “No cure yet, I’m