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Varis opened the door instantly He had taken of his cloak, and looked rakishly disheveled in a black tunic

Behind him, in the center of his roooblets of wine

"Expecting soave her an unfriendly look, then--suddenly re what she was--turned away Cal ie saw hi to rest somewhere on her forehead Sheshe didn’t care

"What are you doing here?" Varis asked final y

Cal ie walked past him and sat defiantly in one of the two chairs he’d set out, knowing it wasn’t s, not quite sure why she was posturing, trying to ignore the way his eyes skimmed away from her face as he turned "Darri just kil ed Lord Cerix"

Varis’s eyebroitched--for hi dead white "She what?"

"In the middle of the dance floor It was quite the at raction"

"Spirits," Varis mut ered

Cal ie took a deep breath "She did it to get the Guardian’s at ention, because she thinks he can defeat the Defender You have to help et herself kil ed"

"You think I can stop Darri froed that ers on the wal behind him, then final y looked directly at her--for just a moment before his eyes skit ered away His voice was oddly subdued when he said, "Is she stilaround?"

Judging from the hint of shame in her brother’s voice, "she" h he tried not to let it show, and Cal ie sat up straight Maybe he didn’t care about Darri, but Cerix’s death had to have repercussions for whatever Varis was planning Varis had never placed any person above the greater good of his tribe; Cal ie, unlike Darri, had always understood that about hination than about their father’s plans

Unless this particular tryst was connected to those plans

An awful suspicion blosso her eyes on Varis, she crossed her ankles, lifted the An awful suspicion blosso her eyes on Varis, she crossed her ankles, lifted the nearest goblet of wine, and swirled the dark red liquid in the glass

"I know Clarisse is beautiful," she said "But everything she says is a lie You have no idea what she real y wants frooblet to her lips

With a speed she hadn’t seen in years, Varis was at her side, lifting the goblet frorasp One red drop splashed over the side and landed on her sleeve; the rest of it sloshed wildly, barely oblet back down, his hand perfectly steady, the wine had set led into a gentle swirl

"I didn’t pour that for you," he said

She tilted her head up, and their eyes ry, and irritated, and a lit le bit afraid But behind al that, too implicit to even be noticeable--except that she would have noticed its absence--was a sense of kinship

She was stil his sister And he knew it

Varis wrenched his eyes away, and Cal ie was glad for that She didn’t even want to guess what racious," she said "Don’t worry, I was just leaving I wouldn’t want toabout Clarisse; about her first ht so desperately for Clarisse’s at ention and been so scornful y ignored Not a crime punishable by deathand she knew, as Varis did not, how alive the dead could feel

So she thought instead about the fact that Clarisse owed her loyalty to Cal ie’s kil er And that this was as close as Cal ie would ever get to taking vengeance for her ed for one savage moment that was blissful y free of doubt

"Enjoy your company," she said as she turned to the door "I’m happy to leave you to it"

Clarisse entered Varis’s roo it That was Varis’s first clue that this o exactly as he had planned The second hen Clarisse looked at the two goblets on the table and laughed

The third, and worst, hen Jano stepped through the door beside her

Varis was sit ing on a wooden chair, a book open in his hands He turned a page, set his thu no ef ort to hide his annoyance "I don’t recal inviting anyone but you"

"And quite flat ering that was," Clarisse mur to add to this discussion And he does have a taste for good wine"

Varis’s brow creased While he was staring at Clarisse hard, trying to figure out how much she knew, Jano walked past both of theantly on one of the chairs

"Your sisters," he announced, "are both crazy"

"Astonishing insight," Varis said He looked back at Clarisse "Is this another a on that Tonight ant to help you"

Varis closed the book with a thud "HelpGhostland, of course"

Varis put the book down on the table, al owing no expression at al to cross his face, er in his boot and several silver ones hidden within easy reach

Clarisse walked across the room toward him Her eyes measured the space between theht now," Varis said, "I’m more interested in what your plan is"

"My plan," Clarisse said, "is to do so only the second most powerful creature in this castle" She stopped several yards from him and brushed a stray curl away froh of that position to last me for eternity"

Varis slid his hands onto his knees "How can you do anything to the Defender? He’s iht"