Chapter 31. Strengths and Weaknesses

CAIVAN

I’m too stunned to drink mine. He’s combined Genn and Iden. It must take a toll on him though, because one side of his face contracts, though he tries to hide it. That was the faint tang of magic I had smelt back in the dining hall. I wonder what other secret experiment he’s carried out, and I wonder how many abominations he’s willing to undergo for power.

Presently, he stands up gracefully as a deer and stares up at the sky. “The skies will cry today,” he says, “Auspicious, one would say.”

I don’t ask what he means.

“You’ll stay for the festival?” he inquires.

“As you wish, my king,” I mutter.

He drinks again before regarding me quietly for a while. It strikes me how he’s looking more like a deer these days.

“I’ll need you to visit Tussel the day after the festivities. I need your…skills.”

A real bump in my plans, but I’m sure I can turn things around.

“Yes, my king.”

He stares at me again, and I feel like I’ve outs