The Harpers conferred alone and decided that they would stay with Shandower, gain his trust, and learn his secrets. They were particularly interested in this apparatus that the Night Parade wanted so desperately to reacquire. They wanted to send at least one of their number to the Twilight Hall to alert the other Harpers. However, they knew that Shandower's suspicion would have been aroused if one of them suddenly departed. This was not information that they could trust to a messenger. For now, they were on their own.

"If you will have us," Myrmeen said as she returned to Shandower, "we will join you."

"Allies are hard to come by in this war," Shandower said. "I'm honored."

Suddenly there was a rustling from the pile of debris at the warehouse's far side. The Harpers were stunned to see a blond youth standing beside the mound of trash. He made the rustling sound on purpose, to draw their attention.

"The boy from the Gentleman's Hall," Myrmeen said.

"Alden McGregor," he said brightly. "And considering my wealth of experience, dear Madame Lhal, I would hardly describe myself as a boy. \foung, maybe, but certainly a man. So, how would you like one more ally?"

The boy's wet hair was matted to his scalp, and he walked toward the Harpers, brushing at his fine clothes in a vain attempt to remove the ingrained filth from his black shirt, boots, and leggings. He had left his fine red jacket outside.

"Excuse the stench," he said sheepishly. "I had to crawl up through the sewage tunnels to get in here. You really have a very secure location-"

Shandower grabbed the teenager and forced him down over one of the grates. Alden yelped in surprise. "I've come to help you!"

"We'll see," Shandower said.

Reisz tapped Ord on the shoulder. "Take a lamp and check the grating. Make sure there are no more."

"I will," Ord said, hurrying to the task.

His back upon the crate, Alden stared up at Shandower and said, "You seemed so even-tempered."

"You work for Reraccinni," Shandower said. "He's-"

"One of them, the monsters, yes, I know," Alden said as he quickly explained the task he had been set to and his discovery at the Gentleman's Hall. He described Pieraccinni's transformation in great detail, and Lucius deduced Pieraccinni's nature, that of a living siphon of magical energy.

Ord returned. "We're clear. Reisz and I are going to check the perimeter."

"Good," Myrmeen said, drawing close to Shandower. Krys-tin joined her.

"Listen," Alden said, "if I wanted to betray you, I could have led those things back here to you. I didn't. I told Pierac-cinni I saw your party leave the city gates. They'll think you're gone. They won't be expecting anything from you."

"Let him up," Myrmeen said. "I believe him."

Reisz and Ord returned. The building was secure.

"Why betray your employer?" Shandower asked.

"I might not always be on the side of law and morality, but I insist on sticking with my own kind," Alden said. "You have something those monsters want, some kind of apparatus, and I have the feeling that if they get their hands on it, there's going to be a lot of human blood spilled."

"You're right," Shandower said. "But trust does not come easily. It has to be earned."

"Don't be so stiff," Alden said. "Whatever it is you want me to do, I'll do it. That's why I'm here."

He winked at Krystin. Her eyebrows went up in surprise.

Shandower suddenly noticed the gaunt mage's dark, burning stare. "Cardoc, did you have something to add?"

"Only that I think we should find a way to hurt these monsters, and I have an idea about where to begin…"

The cloud of flame reached into the night sky like an angry fist. The building seemed to shudder, its foundations rocked by the assault. Myrmeen stood a comfortable distance away, on a low rooftop, with Reisz and Ord flanking her and Krystin standing off to the side with a sullen expression. Both the Harpers and Myrmeen were armed with bows. "There's one," Myrmeen said.

"I've got it," Ord said quickly, a flickering light playing in his eyes. The source of the light was not the fire across the street; instead, the shimmering luminescence came from the bluish white arcane fires in which the shafts had been immersed, courtesy of Shandower and his sorceries.

Below, a creature with long, twisted horns growing from its head raced out of the building. It fell suddenly as Ord's shaft pierced its chest. Soon there were more of the monstrosities flooding into the street, driven there by the dual attacks of Lucius and Shandower, who had sealed off all other means of escape from the burning building. As the monsters ran outside, they were quickly dispatched by the sure arm of the archers across the street.

For the past week, the Harpers had been mounting similar assaults against the clandestine homes of the Night Parade. With the information Shandower had gathered on his own and the invaluable help of Alden, who had been their eyes and ears at the Gentleman's Hall, the Harpers had been able to rout the creatures from a half dozen lairs in the low towns. Tonight marked the first attack on one of their nests in the garment district. The Harpers were dangerously close to their hiding place, which lay only blocks away.

Myrmeen saw a shambling creature break from the doorway below. Without hesitation, she placed a mystically charged arrow in its chest. Although some of the monsters fell to cold steel, magic was required for the rest.

Krystin moved to Ord's side. "Erin and Lucius should have been out of there by now," she said with concern.

"They know what they're doing," Myrmeen said sharply. "We've all been at this a lot longer than you have."

Flinching as if she had been struck, Krystin hissed, "I'm sorry I said anything."

Ord glanced at her. "Your mom's got a case of nerves."

"She's an idiot," she whispered harshly.

"There is that, too."

Krystin stared at the young man as if she were seeing him for the first time and smiled. Below, two figures raced from the burning building. Reisz drew back from the edge of the roof. "Cardoc and Shandower are out. Time to go."

As a group, Myrmeen, Krystin, and the Harpers retreated to the back of the building, where they were met by Lucius, who levitated them to the ground. Shandower waited at the end of the alley, waving his hand for them to follow.

Within ten minutes they were back at Shandower's safe house. While the others celebrated the victory, Myrmeen remained alone, examining the looms stacked in the corner.

During the last several days, Myrmeen had immersed herself in the work of helping to plan their attacks against the Night Parade. In her spare moments, she trained with Shan-dower and Reisz, learning new and more deadly techniques of hand-to-hand combat. Her only contact with Krystin had been when she shared her lessons with the girl, and that had been at Reisz's urging. Reisz had taken a keen interest in the girl, and had been saddened by the steady disintegration of her relationship with Myrmeen.

Krystin went to Myrmeen. "You couldn't be less subtle."

Myrmeen turned suddenly. "I don't understand."

"On the roof you wouldn't give me a weapon. When we're in the field, you don't want to hear anything I have to say. I'm amazed you're willing to turn your back on me."

"I told you, when you're as accomplished as the rest of us, we'll arm you."

Krystin hugged herself. "Why are you lying to me? If you don't want me around, just say so and I'll leave."

Cocking her head slightly, Myrmeen raised an eyebrow and said, "You mean you want to go to Arabel?" She hated herself for the excitement that had crept into her voice.

"No," Krystin said firmly. "I can survive on the street. I have the feeling that I'd be more welcome there."