Page 10 (1/2)

"Be careful, though," he said "You’re notthere areand dead, who are not happy about the Rael ian presence here Be hen you talk to people And try to avoid the Guardian"

His face looked alive again; his skin was bone white, his eyes deep-set and black, that was alShe was aed steady "Who is the Guardian?"

"The Guardian of the Living is his ful title" Kestin stepped back and leaned against the wal again "He tends toto the night you arrived"

"I re thehed "Isn’t it obvious?"

"Froed "Like I said: the dead are dangerous Once it becaeance andThe Guardian took up that role"

"Is he dead too?"

"He’s been around for hundreds of years I would assume so"

"Why the armor?"

"No one knows So he can carry a silver sword, maybe" Kestin shook his head "He has absolute power to punish the dead, and nobody would argue with hi I don’t kno he feels about the presence of foreigners in our kingdom, so it’s probably best if you stay out of his way"

"Thank you for the warning," Darri said "And I wil do ht noould like to talk to estured down the passageway "Her rooht down this hal and up the stairs at the end, the first door on your left I can walk you there, if you like"

She almost said yes But then he dropped his hand to his side, and she saw the dark red of the tapestry right through it

"No," she said "Thank you, but--I think it would be bet er if I spoke to her alone"

Kestin nodded, expressionless

Darri turned her back on the prince and eway and up the narrow, dusty stairway at the end The hal way here was darker than the one downstairs, with fewer lamps and almost no tapestries to cover the bare stone wal s Whatever Cal ie’s status in this castle was, it clearly wasn’t honored guest

Darri’s breath burned in her chest She walked to the first door on the left, lifted her hand to rap on the dark Darri’s breath burned in her chest She walked to the first door on the left, lifted her hand to rap on the dark wood, and couldn’t co of the stif ness of Cal ie’s face, half-hidden in the tangled trees You could have of ered to go yourself

It would have hter her father had chosen; she was pret ier, more adaptable, hter, Darri was e partner to the other tribal leaders

Al true Her father would never have sent her instead

But she hadn’t of ered

Darri dropped her hand to her side, fighting a sick feeling in her chest For so long Cal ie had been the only person in her life she didn’t hate She didn’t kno she would bear it if it turned out Cal ie hated her

If Cal ie refused to open the door

She turned and walked back to the end of the hal way A large as set into the stone wal , theitself covered with uneven bricks Darri pul ed herself onto the stone ledge and leaned against the wal , heedless of the rough-edged stones that scraped against her back The shadows pul ed themselves in around her as she set led back to wait

Chapter Six

There was no way to stop Darri fro whatever she intended to do; there rarely was Varis, when he final y left the banquet hal at King Ais’s side, did his best not to think about what that ht be Ever since Cal ie had been sent away, Darri had been a thorn in his side, and absolutely impossible to control Twice she had even tried to ride to Ghostland herself, though each tiht before half a day had passed