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The Roses were building their oall, a few hundred yards from Mercedes’s fortification It was tall and slick and race and style of Mercedes’s barrier A poisonous green light reflected back frohtmarish kind of wall--the kind the witch builds to keep the prince out Or in The kind that surrounds the dark lord’s castle It was a wall that would trap both Weir and Anaweir And fros, it was nearly finished

They ress Even if they’d waited to begin construction until after dark, they would have had more hands to share in the work than Mercedes and her crews Not to ical firepower It was a testaainst the and sliding on the loose shale He kneho to credit for this latest play

Wylie and Longbranch and D’Orsay’s elaborate, heavily warded pavilions now stood just outside the half-built wall There they hatched scheleaned over the previous days

As he approached the pavilions, Jason moved with exquisite caution, alert for traps and alarht out here on his own Ahead he could see the glowing silk walls of the tents, enchanted to turn the rain Above the peaks flew the banners of the Red and White Rose, and a black raven on white that was D’Orsay’s new signia

Geoffrey Wylie stood outside the tents, issuing orders to a huge crowd of eager young wizards clad in da theory Leicester’s glass anddabranch, dressed in couture cae And Claude D’Orsay

D’Orsay’s patrician features were clearly revealed in the light that leaked from the pavilion The tall wizard stood in thebits of power to keep the rain off his on both hands--powerful sefas, if Jason was any judge So D’Orsay had co

Devereaux stood next to his father, eyes wide, taking it all in

"We’ll begin immediately," Wylie said "The Anaweir are … er … unaware of the rebels’ Weirwall, since they can pass freely through it However, anyone leaving the sanctuary will be trapped inside our wall You’ll capture the the and identification As word gets out, panicked townspeople will no doubt coh the inner wall We’ll have hundreds of hostages, sooing to do with theo to breach the inner wall, we’ll pack the area betith ies That way, the rebels won’t be able to use their arsenal against us"

This was, apparently, Wylie s plan, because Longbranch rolled her eyes "Do you really think wizards will negotiate for Anaweir hostages?"

Wylie shrugged "Who knows? They’ve seee" Longbranch turned back to the soldiers "You must immobilize the prisoners as quickly as possible, so there’s no outcry Particularly the Weir" She distributed leather pouches to the soldiers "This is Ge detectable by those inside the walls Just be careful with it, or you’ll end up flat on your back yourselves"

Jason stood frozen Panic constricted his throat, ht It’s beginning It’s really happening When you’re scared, why is it that your et sweaty?

"If there’s any question," Longbranch went on, "use an io"

The wizard soldiers dispersed, leaving the three wizards and the boy alone

"It would help if we knew branch said

"H wistfully past Longbranch and Wylie to the sanctuary walls

Forget it, Jason thought You’ll never get your hands on the Dragonheart

D’Orsay wrenched hibranch "You know as much as I do, Jessamine We’ll have to take a bit of a chance"

"It appears tothe chance, since it’s our wizards who’ll be involved in the attack"

"I’d be more than happy to contribute," D’Orsay replied, "but I’m afraid I’uard behind to secure the ghyll"

"I can fight, Father," Devereaux said eagerly "I’m only one person, but…"

"No, Dev," D’Orsay said, scowling "Not this time" He turned to the Roses "How do you propose to find the Dragonheart once we’re inside?"

Longbranch and Wylie glanced at each other, then looked toward the sanctuary "Do you really think it will be hard to find?" Wylie said

Jason studied the odds, considered and discarded several options Hefor anyone who passed beyond the barrier There was no time to lose

He backed away fro his feet carefully so as not to betray hih to be heard on its own