Cas couldn't remember ever seeing Boreas this shaken by anything. The Spymaster usually took any new twist and turn on the chin and kept going. But this time, the unexpected deaths visibly disturbed him.

"I arrived in the dungeons to interrogate the attackers, only to find them and the two guards outside their cell, dead." Boreas let out a stream of expletives as he paced the floor. "Every time we get our hands on someone who might know about Son of Deva, they end up dead."

A cold sliver of unease travelled down Cas's spine and he stood from the bed, needing to move to shake the feeling. This had happened before. After Queen Shae of Erya was attacked in Messina two years ago, they had captured the woman responsible. She had admitted to working for Son of Deva, but before they could get much out of her, she had been killed in her cell. Much like what had happened now.

He glanced at Isobel. They knew someone who had information about Son of Deva. Someone who had known him intimately. If she noticed his regard, it didn't show. Her deep-blue eyes were fastened on her hands in her lap and her brows drawn. Dark circles under her eyes bore witness to the exhaustion she must feel, but she remained awake. Even after all his questions.

"For every step forward, we take two steps back." Boreas kicked a book lying on the stone floor and it skidded across the room until it hit the wall with a thud.

"I've never seen you like this." Cas dragged a hand through his hair. It was rather unnerving watching someone who was always calm suddenly unravel.

Boreas's eyes bore into his and there was a hollowness to them that hit him like a punch to the gut. "Two of my best agents watched them. Not just anyone could take them on in a fight and win." His head dropped and his shaggy mane of hair fell over his face. "I'd known them both since they were barely out of their britches."

"I didn't realise you recruited them so young," Cas said, not sure how to comfort his friend.

The Spymaster grimaced. Or was it a wry smile? "No one expects a young boy to be an agent. They're more useful than you might think."

Walking over to the other man, Cas put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"For once, I would just like to get a step ahead of the bastard."

"We do have one advantage." Isobel's voice reminded them of her presence. She'd moved to the edge of the bed, her feet off the side. Something about her bare feet dangling just above the floor made her look small and vulnerable. Not at all like one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world.

"What's that?"

"We know what he's looking for and we know he has a deadline." She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and raised her chin slightly. "And he doesn't know that we know. That gives us an advantage."

Boreas made a face. "Barely. We know he's looking for Godstones, but we have no more information about where they might be than he does. We're all searching for needles in a haystack. Worse! Needles hidden anywhere in the world!"

"True," she admitted. "But we know he's running out of time. It's less than two years until we reach the second millennium of the banishment. He must be getting stressed and he might start making mistakes. So far, he's wasted six years since we retook Messina and, as far as we know, have zero Godstones."

Cas swallowed, remembering the destruction caused by Deva and his followers with a single Godstone. The idea of Deva's son, or anyone without the best of intentions, having access to several Godstones filled him with dread.

"Why would the Gods not simply have destroyed the stones if they are this powerful?" he asked. "They don't sound like anything a mortal should have access to."

"Why do the Gods do anything?" Boreas muttered. "They have their own agenda."

"From my research—which is admittedly spotty since there are little but rumours and legends about them—the Gods couldn't destroy the stones for fear of what the power contained within them would do when released. The Dark God, Ondastos, tricked them into creating them, telling them it was to safeguard their powers. But his plan was to combine them into one single artefact that would have the power to destroy any God or Goddess. It was what finally made them realise they had to banish him or he would eventually destroy them. Or the world. Or both."

"Delightful." Cas rolled his shoulders, trying to escape the uneasy feeling creeping up his back, but it seemed an impossible task.

"At least we won't be surprised this time," Boreas said. "Fort Mael sits at the only passage between Dreadlands and the rest of Erya. If an army is amassing up there, they must pass through here and we will know. And my agents will continue searching for their base camp. If an army is hiding, we should be able to find it."

"Meanwhile, we will find out who at Fort Mael is informing the enemy of Isobel's presence, and of Gods' know what else." Cas hesitated. "Informing the enemy... and Highglaive. It must be the same person. Too much of a coincidence not to be."

Isobel nodded slowly. "I have had suspicions for some time that someone in Highglaive is feeding information to Son of Deva's followers, but I don't know who. They are the closest thing I have to a family and the thought of one of them being a traitor..." Her head dropped, and she drew a deep breath before looking back up at them. "I can't believe it, but all the evidence points to one of them working with the enemy."

He could understand her reluctance to think anyone at Highglaive would do that. Except for the young woman who had joined a few years ago as a new Adept, he had spent years with the sorcerers. There were so few of them left, he couldn't imagine one of them would betray the others. Especially after everything they had endured. But it wouldn't be the first time the Dark God had turned one of them. Deva had once been a prominent sorcerer.

Cas had never met him, having arrived at Highglaive a few years after Deva's ultimate betrayal, but from what he had heard, the man had been incredibly talented and well-respected. Some people liked to blame his Elven heritage for his weakness toward the Dark God. It was nonsense, of course. The Dark God could have turned anyone. Deva just happened to be the Speaker. The sorcerer given the ability to contact the Gods. It was not impossible that the ability also made it easier for the Dark God to whisper in their ear.

He shuddered, suddenly feeling cold. Was that why Sorceress Desari—the latest Speaker—was missing? Had the Dark God turned her as well?

"Do you have any idea of who in Highglaive it could be?" Boreas asked Isobel, bringing Cas's attention back.

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry."

"I will contact my most trusted agents in Messina and ask them to—very carefully—investigate everyone at Highglaive." Boreas paced the room again, his movements more erratic than normal. All of them felt the unease rippling through the room. "And I will scour every piece of information I have on everyone in Fort Mael. I had everyone of importance thoroughly investigated when we first arrived, but maybe I've missed something. Some minor detail that will unravel everything."

"What about Kairn?" Cas said. He hadn't wanted to mention it at first, worried it was his jealousy speaking, but they needed to examine every angle, every possible suspect. "It was quite a coincidence that he showed up at just the right time to save Isobel."

"Hmm." Boreas tapped his nose thoughtfully. "I thought the same. Like everyone else in the council, I've looked into him and found nothing, but it was rather fortunate."

"Maybe he finished dinner early and wanted to see me," Isobel pointed out. "He's been quite... attentive."

Her cheeks darkened a shade, and Cas had to tamp down the instant jealousy. He wanted to be the one who made her blush like that. Was she interested in Kairn? The Emissary from Ler was certainly interested in her. It had been obvious from the start. And why wouldn't he be? She was beautiful and clever. Any man would be lucky to have her so much as smile in their direction.

"Perhaps," Boreas allowed. "Nothing stood out in his history when I looked into him. He's been at the Ler court for years, and we found no dirt on him other than that he's something of a ladies' man."

"Once I've rested, I will go see him." Isobel stifled a yawn. The dark shadows under her eyes somehow looked even deeper than they had a short while ago. She was quickly losing whatever energy she had left. "I might be able to sense if something is off if I'm recovered enough."

"About that." Boreas sighed. "Considering the circumstances, I will try my hand at creating that potion. We have no time to lose. But I don't like it. The potion is unreliable. Is there no other way? What do you sorcerers usually do?"

A wry smile played across Isobel's lips. "We usually try to not get poisoned by Orc's Blood."

The Spymaster chuckled darkly. "Fair."

"It saps our ability to use magic like nothing else. When—" She stopped herself short and averted her eyes. "When I've seen it before, it's taken a long time to recover and that was with much smaller doses."

Cas's hand clenched into a fist at the memory of Isobel and the other Adepts all falling ill at the same time. He could have sworn she was about to say 'when she'd been poisoned before'.

"And like I said, there is a lot of latent magic around Messina, so recovery is much quicker."

"Potion it is." Boreas nodded, and then his shoulders slumped. "I must deal with the dead. Sorceress, get some rest. We may need you. Cas—"

Cas raised his hands, palms towards the Spymaster in surrender. "I know I know. Don't leave her alone."

His friend smirked. "Good."

Once Boreas left, Cas helped Isobel lie back down in bed. When he straightened, she grabbed hold of his hand.

"Please lie with me."

The pleading look in her blue eyes made it impossible to resist. He nodded. Unhooking his breastplate, he glanced at the slender form in his bed. Despite her exhaustion and the dark shadows on her face, she was still the most beautiful woman he had known. Her silver-blond hair fanned out on the pillow behind her and a soft smile played on her full lips as she watched him remove his armour.

"I should probably stand guard," he muttered.

"Surely there are guards outside the tower door. Boreas wouldn't expect you to stay awake all night."

"There are. I just don't like the idea of being vulnerable."

"Then leave your sword by the bed."

After doing as she suggested, he got under the covers with her and pulled her into his arms. Her head fit perfectly against his shoulder and her arm draped across his midriff. Even through the fabric of her nightgown, the touch burned him. He leaned down and pressed a kiss against the top of her head, wishing he could do so much more.

"Thank you for lying down with me," she mumbled, her lips teasing the skin of his chest as they moved. "You have a calming presence and it helps keep me grounded."

"Really?" He frowned up at the ceiling. He certainly didn't feel calm around her.

"Yes. I've always felt that around you. It's difficult to explain. Some people are just easier for me to be around than others. Calming. Grounding. While others' erratic emotions set every nerve in my body on high alert." She drew patterns on his skin below his ribs as she spoke, sending sparks of lightning through him, but he was loath to ask her to stop. There was a definite note of amusement in her voice as she continued, "I won't lie and say I don't pick up on other emotions around you as well."

He cleared his throat since he could imagine exactly what she might pick up on.

"But no matter what, I still always feel calm around you." Shifting her head slightly, she pressed her lips against the pulse beating frantically on his neck.

"By the Gods," he let out in a pained breath. Having her so close and touching him was nothing short of torture. He desperately wanted to roll her over on her back and cover her body with his own. Wanted to kiss her until she gasped his name. But she was weakened. Now was not the time. When he finally gave in to his desire, he wanted her fully alert, not half-asleep from exhaustion.

"Isobel." He tightened his arms around her slightly to let her know it was not a rejection. "You must sleep and regain your strength."

With a small sigh, she relaxed against him. "Fine," she muttered. "But I'm staying right here in your arms, stealing yours."

He chuckled. "I'd give you all my strength if that were possible."

He'd give her anything she wanted. His heart. His soul. If only he'd been allowed. But he had to love the woman destined to protect the world from evil. Who had sworn an oath to abstain from love and family. So he kept his words to himself.

Gathering her closer in his arms, he wished things were different. The knowledge that she had to leave soon was already tearing at him. This was another reason he had avoided her in Messina. Every time he saw her, he was reminded of what he wanted. And what he could never have. Every time she left, he missed her. So not seeing her was easier.

It didn't take long for Isobel to fall asleep, her body softening next to him and her breathing falling into a deeper rhythm. Castel remained awake for some time, enjoying the feeling of her body close to his. The idea of sleeping with someone was still one that carried unease. But it had been fine the previous night. Maybe his nightmares had finally abated.

His eyelids grew heavy, and he yawned.

A prickle at the back of his neck made him want to sit up. Was that the door opening? But before he could investigate, sleep claimed him.

~~~~~~