“I have a question,” Dariana said after I was done. She was sitting cross-legged on my bed, quite unconcerned that the dirt on her boots was rapidly transferring itself to my blankets. “What?” I asked. “Do you have any plans that don’t involve telling Valiana and me to run away and hide somewhere while you—?” “—while he tries to get Kest and me killed?” Brasti finished. “No. That’s pretty much the crux of all of Falcio’s masterful stratagems, so you might as well get used to it now.”
