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Tracelands’ involvement!” Why was he arguing with her?
    Nia Rol gasped, making Ela look at her. “Father would havesaid something, I’m sure, if we were planning to invade Parne. . . . Not that I listen to everything, mind you, but . . .”
    When Nia’s half-coherent protest faded, Kien said, “I’m not concerned about the Tracelands, because if our allies are involved in any military action, then of course we’ll support them.” He hesitated. “Are you telling me that you’re going to Parne, knowing it’ll be under siege? Ela, I forbid it!”
    “No you don’t!” She wanted to wallop him with the branch. Who did he think he was? Didn’t she have enough trouble without his misguided interference? Pet bumped her, exhaling an anxious rumble. Ela leaned away from him and scowled at Kien. “I’m Parne’s prophet. I have to go, whether or not you approve.”
    “Ela—!”
    “Kien!” She stood. Swayed.
    Kien jumped to his feet and grabbed her arm. She shook him off. “Stop!”
    “No. Listen to me! You don’t need to—”
    “You listen!” As Ela aimed the branch at Kien, the destroyer stamped and snorted as if prepared for battle—then nosed his way between them. Ela cried, “Pet, move ! I want to beat your master!”
    The destroyer groaned and stood his ground.

 3 
    E la wanted to beat him? Kien scowled, stepping backward as Scythe muscled him away and then halted, blocking Kien from Ela. Didn’t Ela realize he was concerned for her safety? If she would just listen to his suggestions!
    Beside Kien, Beka grabbed his sleeve. “Look, you’ve upset your destroyer.”
    “He started my morning by upsetting me,” Kien argued. He shoved at the destroyer’s huge black shoulder. “Move, you lummox!” Naturally, the beast didn’t budge. But his powerful muscles were twitching. Wildly. Adopting a calmer tone, Kien called out, “Ela, he seems certain you want to injure me. Do you?”
    “Trust your destroyer!” Ela yelled. “You’ve basically said I don’t know what I’m talking about!” To Scythe, she said, “Pet, never mind. You stand right where you are!”
    The giant horse shut his eyes and groaned again. Probably because she’d called him Pet.
    Unseen, some of Ela’s students were now giggling. Xiana’s too-cheerful voice cooed, “Oh, beat him a little, Ela. He deserves it!”
    Kien fumed. Was Xiana referring to Scythe, or to him?
    Beka tugged at Kien’s sleeve, clearly irked. “You two cannot give your destroyer conflicting orders. You’ll drive him insane!”
    Kien opened his mouth to snap a reply at his sister, then paused. She was right. And Ela was right. But that didn’t makehim wrong. His training in diplomacy took hold. Kien sat down, looked past the destroyer’s immense black hooves and legs, and studied the opposition. Ela’s face wasn’t visible, but he saw her fingers restlessly tapping the branch. Then she aimed a fierce kick at a fold on the mat. Bad-tempered little prophet. With pretty feet. At least she seemed mostly recovered from her vision.
    Keeping his voice reasonable, he called, “Ela, I’m leaving for ToronSea this afternoon, and I’d prefer to depart with blessings from the prophet of Parne.”
    Ela’s hands and feet stilled. She thumped the branch against the mat and bent to stare at him. “ToronSea? But . . . why? You’ve just returned home!”
    She sounded like his mother. She’d miss him. Kien grinned. “You’re the prophet. You tell me.”
    Ela sat down and shut her eyes, evidently questioning the Infinite. Her students sat on either side of her, whispering, then smiling at him and Beka from their side of the destroyer.
    Beka sat next to Kien and hissed, “What’s this about ToronSea?”
    “Listen,” he muttered. “You won’t believe it.”
    Apparently finished communing with the Infinite, Ela opened her dark eyes and stared at him, horror-struck. “You’re being sent to ToronSea in my place. Because I’m going to