She closed The Foretellings of Eleuia. She still hadn’t had much chance to study it. On the trip upriver, the Staff had been too disruptive to allow her to study the book. Now she was back in Quorge away from the Staff, she’d hoped to study it more. It was ideal to pull out on a sleepless night—except sleepless nights brought with them a lack of concentration, especially when combined with numerous other sleepless nights before them. She wasn’t going to get much out of it tonight.


    She removed Lon from her lap and held him up to her face. “Time for a walk, don’t you think?” She placed Lon on her pillow and felt for Nesh who was snuggled against her side. She placed Nesh beside Lon, then climbed out of bed and dressed quickly. She hoped it wasn’t too early to wander about. She had considered wandering about hours ago, but wasn’t sure how appreciated it would be. This was only her first night here, after all. It was better to wait until she had a better idea how people would react to her wandering around in the middle of the night.


    She picked up the rats and placed them on her shoulders. Then she grabbed The Foretellings of Eleuia. Perhaps there was somewhere in Lord Belone’s palace where she could read and still focus. A library or some place with a table and hard chair would be a start. Tucking the book under her arm, she headed into the hall.


    It wasn’t much of a library. It had a single shelf over the fireplace with about a dozen books on it. The rest of the room was more like a lounge, with plush chairs and couches, the walls adorned with paintings. It also had a large, long table that was perfect for Felit?a’s needs. She could spread her papers on it and have them all at hand. For the moment though, she had only the one book and wouldn’t need all the space. The tall, stiff-backed chairs might help her concentrate though.


    She sat at the table and placed The Foretellings of Eleuia in front of her. She’d barely opened the book, when the library door opened and a servant entered. He bowed low. “Pardon the intrusion, your Highness, but his Lordship invites you to join him for breakfast.”


    Felit?a rose and reached for The Foretellings of Eleuia. It lay open on the table in front of her, open to a page about halfway through. Had she opened it to that spot, or had she been reading it?


    A passage on the page caught her attention.


    You will know the Will-Breaker by her mental prowess, capable of manipulating and bending the will of others under her complete control. She should be rightly feared, but know that she is an ally as long as you do not raise her ire.


    Felit?a sat down again, her heart racing. That was exactly the kind of passage she was looking for—and exactly the kind she didn’t want to find. Bending the will of others under her complete control? The idea was terrifying.


    So she had fallen asleep. It was possible she had just happened to open the book to this exact page, but it was unlikely. More likely, she had been looking through the book and found this page. But why couldn’t she remember doing it? When she had “woken” up, it hadn’t felt like waking up or that she had even been asleep at all.


    With a sigh, she picked up the book and stood up. She headed first back to her room to drop off the book and the rats and to dress more formally, then to breakfast.


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    Akna tore the blanket off herself and threw it aside. She snatched her clothes off the chair she’d tossed them on last night. “Yeah, fine.” She started to dress.


    Akna took a deep breath. “Okay, do it.” She closed her eyes.


    “How do I know you’re not the one using mentalism magic on me? Or maybe your telepathy? Or both?” Why did she trust this woman? Ever since Felit?a had come into her life, Akna had been surrounded by death. Chica, Inhuan, others. Felit?a’s arrival in Ninifin had brought with it a failed rebellion, the death of Queen Nin-Xoco, chaos, and mayhem. Akna had been specifically told that Felit?a—the Will-Breaker—was a harbinger of destruction, yet Akna had gleefully followed her. Trusted her. Done everything Felit?a had asked.