She screamed Stone's name, over and over again. The horses finally came from wherever the Shakiri's servants had taken them.“Mount,” Torchay ordered Obed, who seemed only slightly less shocky than Kallista. Torchay had to pull Kallista from Obed's grip to allow the other man to mount.“Take her.” Torchay gave up the precious burden into Obed's arms so Torchay could keep them both safe.“What is happening?” Namida Ambassador asked for the fiftieth time. “I have to explain—Shakiri Shathina is outraged—Is the Reinine ill? Is she poisoned?"“Not poison,” Torchay said, then had to correct himself. He hadn't learned much in the few moments Kallista had linked them all together, but what he had managed to sort out from the confused jumble of impressions was not good. Was so bad it seared his soul.“Kallista's not poisoned,” he said. “Not here. No one here. Our ili—Godmarked. Stone was attacked. At Habadra House—maybe. I don't know. Don't know all of it, but whatever it is, it's bad."“Wait—how do you know?”
