Traitor's Moon

its conclusion.”
    As the meal ended Klia wandered down to their end of the table. “We’ve been given the luxury of doing nothing tonight, my friends. Kheeta í Branín says the colos offers a pleasant view of the sunset. Anyone care to join us?”
    â€œWe’ll make an Aurënfaie of you yet, my lady,” Seregil said, rising to accompany her.
    â€œGood. You and Alec can be our minstrels for the evening.”
    â€œIf you will excuse me, my lady, I must retire early,” Torsin said, still seated.
    Klia laid a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “Of course. Rest well, my friend.”
    Servants carried wine, cakes, and cushions up to the colos. Seregil made a quick detour to their room for his harp. By the time he joined the others, they’d settled in to enjoy the cool of the evening. The lingering green glow of sunset was fading quickly on the western horizon. To the east, a ruddy full moon was already rising over the city.
    He and Alec were laughingly given the place of honor across from Klia. Beka and Nyal sprawled on the floor near the door, their backs to the wall.
    A sudden lump rose in Seregil’s throat as he struck the first notesof “Softly Across the Water”; from where he sat he could see the colos on Adzriel’s house, where he’d played for his family on so many evenings like this. Before he could halt or falter, Alec took up the melody, catching his eye with a small, questioning lift of an eyebrow. Fighting off the unexpected rush of sadness, Seregil focused all his attention on the intricate fingering of the song and came in with harmony on the refrain with the others, letting their voices cover any lingering unsteadiness in his own.
    It still amused Alec to find himself consorting with royalty. Not so long ago he’d thought it a treat to sit next to a smoking hearth in some filthy tavern, back in the days when the ’faie were still creatures of legend rather than his own kin.
    Seregil cheered up as the evening wore on, and the two of them acquitted themselves admirably as minstrels. When their throats went dry, Thero took over with a pretty collection of illusions he’d picked up in his travels with Magyana.
    â€œThe wine’s run low,” Kheeta announced at last.
    â€œI’ll lend a hand,” Alec offered, wishing his bladder felt as light as his head. He and Kheeta gathered the empty jugs and made their way downstairs toward the servant’s stair at the end of the second-floor corridor. This took them past Torsin’s chamber, and Alec saw that the door was slightly ajar. The room beyond was dark.
Poor old fellow
, he thought, gently pulling the latch shut.
He must have been sicker than he let on to retire this early
.
    â€œShe’s a great lady, your princess,” Kheeta observed warmly as they headed down to the kitchen. He’d had his share of the wine and was slurring his words a little. “It’s sad …”
    â€œWhat’s sad?”
    â€œThat the ’faie blood has run so thin in her,” the Bôkthersan replied with a sigh. “You don’t understand yet how fortunate you are, being ya’shel. Just you wait a few hundred years.”
    The cooks had propped the kitchen door open to catch the breeze from the yard. Passing it, Alec caught sight of a cloaked figure hurrying out the postern gate. Something in the sloped set of the man’s shoulders made him pause; a familiar, muffled cough made him thrust the still empty wine jugs into his companion’s arms and follow.
    â€œWhere are you going?” Kheeta called after him.
    â€œI need some air.” Alec sprinted across the yard before the other man could question him.
    The guards by the watch fire took no more notice of him than they had of Torsin. Why worry about one of their own going out when it was folk creeping in they were set to guard against? Outside the gate Alec paused, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. A cough nearby guided him to the left.
    He’d acted on pure instinct until now, but suddenly he felt rather foolish ghosting along after Klia’s most trusted adviser as if he were a Plenimaran spy. What was he going to tell her when he got back, or say to Torsin if the old man caught him tailing along behind him? As if in answer, a large owl—the first he’d seen since they’d left Akhendi—glided past, flying in the same direction Torsin had gone.
    I can