“I found the dance quite stirring.”

“Indeed,” Serat said doubtfully.

The mage sighed. “But, as you say, crude. If their gifted are equally as primitive, our search here may be in vain.”

“Perhaps.” Serat propped his elbow on the arm of his chair and rubbed his chin. “We’ve seen little enough evidence of anyone trained in magecraft, certainly none at the level of anyone in the Order. There are healers, of course, though who can say if it’s herbcraft or magic at work when a person recovers from illness? They didn’t mount any kind of magical defense when we invaded.”

Because it was an abomination to use spirit to kill, Lorel thought angrily as she climbed to her feet.

“That is reassuring,” the mage said. “They might be untrained, but at least they’re uncorrupted by the evils of sorcery.”

Serat waved a dismissal at Lorel, and she walked quickly from the room. In her haste, she left her shawl behind. She wouldn’t go back for it while Serat and his guests were still in the room. She hadn’t liked the look in the old mage’s eyes as he’d watched her, condescension crossed with lust. She wouldn’t place herself in his path again if she could help it.

As soon as she turned the corner and was out of sight of the guards, she began to run. No one chased her. She simply wanted to get away from the hall as quickly as possible. If she could have run straight for the main doors of the Keep and out into the night, she would have done so.

But she wasn’t quitting. Not yet. Not yet!

Instead she fled up the narrow, curving servant’s stairs to Janek’s rooms. She stopped midway up. She didn’t know where Janek was tonight. He might be up there waiting for her to return. She had to gain control of herself before she burst in on him. He would ask too many questions, none of which she had answers for.

It was stupid to fall apart now when she wasn’t in any immediate danger. She closed her eyes and willed her heart to stop racing, willed her breathing to slow. She set her back against the cold stone and inhaled deeply, letting the damp air wash the smell of the strange oils from her nose. She shut away the memory of the lust she’d seen on the faces of the men who’d watched her dance. The Ghadrians scorned her as much as they wanted to possess her. Just like they did with all of Erys.

But they wouldn’t touch her while Janek was her protector. That was one of the reasons she’d chosen to claim him as her lover.

He kept the other rats away.

Opening her eyes, she pushed off from the wall. She straightened her gown and started up the stairs again, taking them slowly now.

She was safe. Her work here was making a difference. She could do this. For Erys and her people.