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The trickster nodded, his features grim The feathers in his hair twirled in the breeze

"You’re certain this is necessary?" Captain Beck asked "My battalion isto intercept an invasion force headed for the Oldwood We need every advantage we have against the invaders, especially if the ru more Atlanteans to their ranks"

S her "The enemy will find the Oldwood nearly impossible to take As for the Atlanteans, you’ll find that in a few days whoever they’ve put in to rule as regent for the young prince Tzajin will announce an alliance with Atlantis Then the flood of reinforcein"

"You’re sure of this?" Captain Beck asked, horror etched upon her features

The Wayfarer cocked his head to one side "I’ve just learned of it," he lied How else to explain that she and the other co themselves?

"Suffice it to say, Captain, that if Blue Jay and his companions are swift in their efforts, theyperforreater than any they could provide in a single battle"

Blue Jay shook his head, crossing his arht out and say so e is usually best conducted in secret, don’t you think? Details now could cost your lives later, and the Bascodolanced at the other Borderkind he had recruited for their task It was Cheval who low almost white in the sun

"We are at your service, ht to depart, then Good luck, Captain Beck"

The old wanderer began to turn away, but then paused and looked back at Li His legend called him the Guardian of Fire, but he had lost much of his control over the fla embers He had no hair, no clothes, no features at all to speak of save for his nose andpits where his eyes had once been

"Not hih You others will blend in, but Li will be far too conspicuous"

The grindylow stood up straight, speaking before Blue Jay or Cheval could summon the words

"We’re o at all You let us worry about keeping our secrets We’ve done all right so far The four of us, we left our friends behind in Palenque Always figured we’d go back for ’eot that?"

The Wayfarer studied the water bogieMaster Grindylow Just so you know it’s a problem you will have to solve"

Blue Jay lifted his chin "You’re not the only clever one, Smith We’ll see to it"

Smith nodded and took a final look at Li The Guardian of Fire only stared back at hi

"Say your good-byes, then," the Wayfarer told them

Cheval Bayard fixed hirindylow stood close by Li held hiht to bid farewell, but Blue Jay turned to Captain Beck and they exchanged senerations persuading Borderkind that there was no sin in loving ordinary people Of course, Damia Beck was the descendant of Lost Ones, and so even if they were to have children, their offspring would not be Legend-Born Such children had to be the product of love between a Borderkind and a human from the other side of the Veil

Still, it touched him to see the way they looked at one another Wayland Sh eons alh he had nothing but callus where his heart ought to be Once in a while, however, he felt a se that reminded him that he still could feel

"You know," Captain Beck said to Blue Jay, "if you succeed, you ht well hasten the end of the war"

"One way or another," he said,in his eyes

"In our favor, of course," the captain said, ebony skin shining in the sun Then she kissed hi that the others saw Blue Jay returned her kiss tenderly, and when Damia stepped back from him, she was breathless

"I wish you better luck than on your first journey to Palenque," Captain Beck said, glancing around at the gathered Borderkind

The grindylow snorted "Well, we could hardly do worse"

But Blue Jay and Captain Beck were not listening Their fingers touched in a final lingering farewell, and then the trickster o"

"Indeed Swift through the Veil, and careful on the other side The ordinary world has been too long without proper legends We must do our best not to disturb them"

"We’ve all been across before, old man," Cheval Bayard sniffed "We’re all Borderkind"

With a nod, Smith reached into the fabric of the Veil It took hi that happened more often of late--but when he did, it was sih the barrier for theh first, and quickly, as though he had wished for any reason to leave the legendary world behind Cheval and Grin followed Blue Jay spared one last glance at Captain Beck She nodded gravely to hih

Silently, as he too passed through the Veil, the Wayfarer wished the lovers whatever destiny they desired for the as it did not interfere with his own

CHAPTER 3

The guards always opened the door to Julianna and Collette’s cell first Every uards arrived When they had first been captured, a larger contingent had been in attendance, but soon the number had dwindled Apparently, someone had decided that the threat they represented had been exaggerated

All along, Collette had wanted to try for escape and Oliver had dissuaded her Julianna had never quite understood his strategy, but now she realized that Oliver had been right Since the reduction in the nuiven their captors any reason to suspect that they would dare atte," Collette whispered

Julianna took a deep breath and let it out slowly Collette dropped away frorate As always, the two Yucatazcan guards ca trays of food They were followed by a pair of Atlanteans They wore the sa the greenish-white cast of their skin

The Atlanteans were arer The first soldier came to the door and Julianna stepped back a bit as he braced the tray against his hip and furate and across the hall, where she could see Oliver watching her from his own cell

The key went into the lock and she could hear the clank of the tu open half an inch

"Back away!" the nearest of the two Atlanteans shouted, drawing his sword "Away from the door!"