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Ceros knew he wasn’t
really holding his breath, but it felt like it.
    I heard that, you know.
    You mean I have to censor all my thoughts now?
    No. But if I’m somewhere nearby and you’re upset, you
might want to.
    You have to be near me to hear my thoughts?
    I think so. It’s only a theory. One I’ll test here in a
moment, since I need to leave before anyone returns.
    Do you really have to go? He hated the panic that
rose with the thought of her leaving and never returning.
    People will wonder why I linger if I’m seen in your room.
    When will you be back?
    It’s almost time for the evening meal. I need to find
someone who may be able to answer the question of why we can hear each other’s
thoughts. I doubt I’ll be able to return until tomorrow. Perhaps while everyone
is busy with the midday meal.
    Can you do something for me?
    If I can.
    Will you get a message to my friend, Gehiji? Him and only
him. Tell him that I am alive, inside this body and I will need his skills to
find out who did this to me.
    What reason would he have for believing me?
    Ceros thought for a moment. She was right. Even if she could
get a message to Gehiji, he would likely dismiss it as the fanciful wishing of
a woman. Or worse, he could become suspicious of her intentions and try to keep
her away.
    Tell him that I will return the telos he gambled away if
he is able to find out what and who was behind this.
    A telos? Do I even want to know what that is?
    If you deliver my message and I recover from this,
whatever this is, I will tell you the story.
    Very well. I will seek your friend out. But I won’t
promise to tell him how I know.
    Fair enough.
    A sound from somewhere nearby sent the owner of the voice
scurrying to her feet. I must go.
    You will return. Ceros knew it was more an order than
a question, but he didn’t care. He needed her to return. As much as he hated
it, he needed her to keep him sane.
    Yes. I will return as soon as I can. You should sleep. It’s
the best thing you can do to heal the body.
    Ceros snorted. Like I have anything else to do.
    He heard a door open and close but didn’t hear anyone moving
about the room. Something twisted in his chest knowing she had gone.
    I will return. The voice whispered in his mind, easing
the knot forming in his chest.
    A moment later, he heard her asking, Do you still hear
me?
    It was faint and he wondered if it was due to proximity or
barriers between them.
    Yes, somewhat.
    Interesting.
    What is?
    I’ll tell you tomorrow.
    He chuckled and wondered what just happened.

Chapter Three
     
    It was midmorning when Danet made it to the palace. She
scurried past the main dining hall, but craned her neck to see who was taking
their breakfast. One of the prince’s sisters and her husband were just settling
in but the queen was not present.
    She made her way to the servants’ area to find the one woman
who would know what had been going on around the palace the last few weeks.
Hesina was the most senior of the staff and had served since she was a young
girl. She was loyal and made it her business to know everything that affected
the royal family.
    “Hesina. There you are.” Danet found the short, pudgy woman
in the kitchen, inspecting the day’s produce with one of the cooks.
    Hesina waved for her to enter. The palace kitchens were
off-limits to anyone not assigned to work there. That rule was strictly
enforced by Hesina and her staff. Rumor had it the cooks had chased more than
one person out with large knives.
    A couple of the kitchen staff murmured greetings as Danet
passed, which she returned in kind.
    “I’ve been wondering when you’d make you way around here,”
Hesina said as Danet approached.
    “I tried to find you last night, but your girls said you
were busy and I needed to see one more patient before going home.”
    “You and that father of yours. Always running here and
there, taking care of others when you should be taking care of yourselves.” She
clucked her