The guards near Celyn’s cell had also been summoned away. Celyn roused at once, meeting Meilyr at the bars of the door. ‘Meilyr, what—’
‘I am getting us all out of here.’
‘Us? What?’
‘I will explain. Grab anything you need.’
Celyn’s questions paused as, beside Meilyr, Haydn stepped into the light. ‘Hallo, Celyn.’
Celyn’s eyes darkened. ‘Haydn.’
‘Not now, please,’ Meilyr said.
Haydn was a bandaged state, hiding it well enough to smile pleasantly at Celyn. ‘My, it has been a long time, has it not? How are times keeping you? Well, it seems.’
Meilyr managed the door, and it opened with a low, metallic creak.
Celyn did not grab any belongings. Instead, he grabbed Haydn and threw him into the cell, pushed Meilyr out and made to toss the door shut.
Meilyr slammed his hand against the bars, halting it. ‘Celyn.’
‘Meilyr, you cannot mean for him to come with us.’
‘I do, and I need you to be quiet.’
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he is behind all this – I never trusted him.’
‘And here I thought I was your favourite of Meilyr’s lovers,’ Haydn said from the floor, adding just the right lift to his lips to be pointed. ‘Certainlynow, anyway.’
‘Haydn!’
‘I will cut off your hands if you even look at him. Meilyr, we are leaving him.’
‘This is all scintillatingly brilliant gossip,’ Faina said tentatively from the corridor, ‘and wonderfully domestic. But could we leave? We’re making rather a lot of noise.’
‘We are leaving.’ Meilyr pried Celyn’s hand from the door and offered his own to Haydn.
Haydn, for his worth, did not overdo the contact and let himself be dragged stiffly to his feet.
Meilyr moved through them all, leading on. ‘All of us. Now.’
Down the next corridor, behind him, Haydn said, ‘Haydn Sayer. It’s a pleasure to meet you, though I feel…’
‘Faina, and this is Deryn. Youarefamiliar, though the bandages…’
‘I worked in the gardens. I’m—’
‘Haydn,’ Meilyr said. ‘Please, shut up.’
‘As you were, Highness.’
They rounded the final corner of the dungeons, to the base of the straight flight of steps that led to the cloistered walkways above.
At the top of the stairs, someone stepped out into the pallid moonlight.
Meilyr froze. Everyone behind him did the same, their panic a tight band of discomfort across the back of his skull.
The person waited, calmly, their pale uniform illuminated to white gold. Immediately recognisable.