White Road

man’s mouth twitched in what was in no way a smile. “You don’t want ’faie blood on your hands. Neither do I.”
    “I need to speak with my friends.”
    “Be sure to make it clear that your only other option is to stay where you are and die of cold and thirst. We can outwait you and we will not weep for any of you.”
    “I’ll keep that in mind.” Without thinking, he made Rieser a slight bow, and was amply repaid by the surprise on the other man’s face as he returned it.
    He turned over all the things Rieser had said as he walked the short distance back to the others, all the while thinking of how peaceful Sebrahn looked in the arms of the rhekaro called Hâzadriën—
    Hâzadriën?
Seregil looked back over his shoulder at the tall rhekaro. Rieser spoke of it as “he,” but was it just his imagination that the face could just as easily be that of a woman? No, it wasn’t possible.
    “Why do they still have Sebrahn?” Alec asked.
    “The only reason we’re still alive is that we still have you, and that’s not a very strong guarantee, seeing as how they came all the way down here to finish the job they started theday your mother died.” Alec’s stricken look made Seregil hate himself, but there was no time for coddling now. “They have us in a narrow place, literally. Look around. Even if we could get past them, or over these trees without them catching us, how far are we going to get with no horses, no weapons, no food—”
    “What else are we supposed to do?”
    “He’s offered us a trade. He goes with us to steal Yhakobin’s book, and we leave Sebrahn here as a ransom while we’re gone.”
    Alec’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re not serious?”
    “It will make our task considerably easier, Alec. Look at him.” There was more silver showing in Sebrahn’s hair this morning. “Do you really want to risk having him fall into the hands of another alchemist?”
    “No—” Alec gazed up the trail at Sebrahn, frowning at dark memories. “But even if we wanted to, how could we leave him? He’ll have another of his fits.”
    “They flock to their own kind. He’s happy with Hâzadriën. Didn’t you notice that he wasn’t there after we were captured?”
    “But he’ll starve!”
    “If Rieser is telling us the truth, he doesn’t need to eat that often.”
    Alec’s blue eyes were accusing now. “You
want
to leave him, don’t you? You want to be rid of him!”
    Seregil had made a vow long ago never to lie to Alec, and he’d never broken it. For that reason, he said nothing, knowing his silence would be damning enough. Alec turned away, but Seregil could read the set of his shoulders as well as if he could see his face.
    All I care about is you, talí! And Micum. If Sebrahn is the price of your lives …
    “And this man will go with us, just like that?” asked Micum, looking skeptical. “What’s to keep us from slitting his throat a mile down the road and circling back for Sebrahn?”
    Seregil shrugged. “Atui, Micum. But if he breaks it first, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
    “What is your answer, Bôkthersa?” Rieser called.
    “A moment, please!”
    Seregil went to Alec. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, he looked sidelong at the younger man and whispered, “I don’t see another way right now, but it’s up to you.”
    “You want this?”
    “I want to get us out of here alive. I want to get in and out of Plenimar without attracting attention or having you and Sebrahn fall into the hands of another alchemist, or worse. Leaving Sebrahn here makes sense on both accounts.”
    “Do you really believe that his people won’t just leave?”
    “I don’t know, but we have time between here and Ero to figure that out. Right now, I don’t see that we have much choice except to go along with him.”
    Alec rubbed at his eyes and took a deep breath. “All right. But if I decide I don’t trust him, then we go back to our original plan.”
    “Agreed. Micum?”
    The other man shrugged. “I’m just a Tír along for the ride. But I don’t think his precious honor holds him to keeping his word to the likes of me.”
    “I have his assurance on that, too. So, we’re all agreed?”
    The others nodded. Together they walked back up the trail to where Rieser was waiting.
    “Trust me, talí,” Seregil whispered to Alec, but the younger man said nothing, keeping his gaze fixed on Sebrahn.
    “What have you decided?” asked Rieser.
    “We need a show of good