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you flashing my mark? What’s wrong?”
    The woman’s voice seemed to steady somewhat, even though it still echoed slightly. “Only way to … reach you without them knowing. What in … raters is going on … ere, Tal?”
    Tal furrowed his brow and stared at his arm. Mila kept wondering if a face was going to pop out of his arm as hard as he was watching the mark. “You should already have the report. There was a breakout from Rohm. We tried to stop it, but failed. Sela went missing and we tracked her topside. But she’s been taken, and we think it was by the black mage Vegre. There was an unauthorized gate here, and Alexy is doing a magic signature track right now. We’ll be back down there soon and I’ll tell you more.”
    “No! Not here. Stay topside. Afraid … you’d say that,” said the voice he called Kris. “Problem is … you’re accused of the breakout. All-points bulletin for your capture or death and Rohm in lockdown. It’s why I … contact … you like this.”
    He stared at his arm like it had sprouted wings. “ What? Sela made her report during the breakout, describing the three Guilders and Alexy contacted Commander Sommersby to tell him we were going to track the escapee and search for Sela. We have full permission and are supposed to have backup arriving soon.”
    There was a pause, long enough that Talos spoke again. “Kris? Are you still there?”
    “Still … here. But more than one problem now, big brother. Commander S … says never heard from you, and report that you and Duvrot staged breakout was submitted … by Sela.”

CHAPTER 5
     
    I t was difficult enough for Tal to keep his feet, much less refrain from screaming his indignation at Kris. The best he could do was pause for a long moment and stare at his boots while his face grew hot and sweaty. He swallowed to return the hot acid to where it belonged in his stomach. He knew the others were listening, and he still had no guarantee that they weren’t criminals themselves. But he couldn’t simply walk out of the room to continue the conversation. It might imply some sort of guilt. “Obviously, there’s been some sort of mistake. You don’t believe I’d be involved in something like that, do you?”
    The answer was at least slightly reassuring. “Certainly … not. But you realize … the problem, yes?”
    Tal nodded and let out a slow breath. “Even if Commander Sommersby is somehow involved, nobody would dare stand up and accuse him. And a trace of magic energy at the scene of the breakout will find my, Alexy’s, and Sela’s signatures. Couple that with Sela’s report, and our word won’t mean much, eh?”
    “Pre … cisely. I’m sorry … Tal. The best I can … offer you is to fight for you down here. Try to find … evidence of someone lying.”
    He shook his head. “I don’t want you involved, Kris. If you start digging, you could wind up behind the bars, instead of guarding them.”
    The abrupt burst of noise could have been a laugh. “Give me some … credit, brother. I’ve already prepared … memory potion. Even I won’t remember this talk. But I’ve taken notes that I’ll leave for myself at … home. And nobody would ever think to … look for evidence where I’m speaking to you from.”
    He tried to imagine where in Rohm nobody would look for Kris. She was a fixture of the best shops and knew every restaurant owner in the city. “Where are you?”
    Another burst of laughter. “Dressing room of … bridal fitter. Surprisingly good shielding in these places.”
    Why on earth would a wedding seamstress need shields on the dressing rooms? But he had to admit that nobody would ever expect to find his sister there. She’d had both boyfriends and girlfriends in the past, but she was married to her job and considered personal liaisons a form of cheating. It was actually brilliant.
    He was surprised to hear a comment from inside the room, reminding him that he was being overheard. It was Candy who spoke,