“He cannot go there, Sheieh. Do you fucking hear me?”

Relyt ducked back around the corner and flattened himself against the wall, listening intently because that was Lílrt’s voice.

“Aye, my Lord, but we aren’t due there for another three days?” His Guardian sounded upset but not in the normal way. “We were only just now beginning to get things together to le–”

“No, Sheieh. If he goes there they will kill him,” Lílrt interrupted him and Relyt felt lightheaded because his brother sounded terrified. 

What could possibly scare you that badly? 

“My Lord…” Sheieh trailed off and Relyt could imagine he was swallowing, regaining control of whatever had slipped out around his stoic mask. “What has happened since you left? You expressed merely hours ago that while it was ill-advised for Relyt and I to travel to Ryphqi City that you would not order us stopped. What has changed in so short a ti–”

“Xefras has escaped. And he knows, Sheieh. He knows because the bastard slave I had him watching knows. He never forgot like he was supposed to.”

Silence, thick and full of things unsaid, terrible, terrible things. Relyt felt like he couldn’t breathe, felt like the ground was closer than it had been, then it should be.

“So they will all know.”

“Yes,” Lílrt sounded even more scared than he had before though Relyt couldn’t for the life of him understand why. “Xefras would have made it there by now and if he hasn’t he will be soon. Keep Relyt at the Grand Palace at any cost because if he goes to Ryphqi City he is going to die.”

“I will do my best, Anointed One,” Sheieh didn’t sound certain not that Relyt blamed him. “But you know how he can be. If he does not wish to do something, it is almost impossible to get him to do it.”

Lílrt sighed heavily, sounding exhausted. “I know but… I can’t lose him, Sheieh. Not for this. Not when the reason they’d kill him is really my fault. So please, do what you can.”

Another heavy, thick silence.

“You will not punish me if I fail?”

“No,” his brother answered. “Not this time.”

Relyt ran back down the hallway, back the way he’d come, before Sheieh could end the call and he risked getting caught out. Ran not because he’d been eavesdropping and it as rude but because he needed a head start. Needed to get answers. And if neither his brother nor his Guardian would give it to him?

Then he’d get it from his Court. Even if it meant dying.

At least I’ll finally know what I’ve done.