“I trust Carnades about as far as one of my spindly legs could drop-kick him,” Justinius was saying under his breath.

The old man’s rangy frame might not be able to wrinkle Carnades’s robes, but Justinius Valerian was the strongest mage in the seven kingdoms. Period. Using his magic, he could kick Carnades to the far side of the farthest continent. I was grateful that he’d come to see us off. Even better, the old guy wasn’t alone. Being the archmage meant he didn’t go anywhere without his six huge Guardian bodyguards.

Carnades lowered his hands and took a deep breath that shook as he exhaled. Whatever he’d just done, it’d taken a bit out of him. Just as long as he had enough juice left over to get us to Regor. Mychael walked over and took Carnades’s magic-sapping manacles from one of his Guardians, but made no move to put them back on the elf mage. The other Guardians closed ranks around Carnades. I assumed it was too close to the time to leave to put them on again, so they were just going to go with close-quarters guarding.

“Is the crate through?” Mychael asked Carnades.

“It will be in the cave waiting for us when we arrive.” The air coming off a glacier was warmer than Carnades’s voice. Nope, we definitely weren’t turning our backs on him.

“Crate?” I quietly asked Mychael.

“With food, water, blankets, medical supplies.”

If we got ambushed by half the goblin army, there wouldn’t be enough of us left to bandage.

“In case one of us gets a bad hangnail?”

Mychael managed a grim smile. “Something like that—”

Sirens wailed, lightglobes set into the walls flashed blue, and Piaras and I damned near jumped out of our skins.

Oh hell.

Sounded like Sarad Nukpana got tired of waiting.

Chapter 2