"Nothing permanent," Vidal says quietly, leaning against the wall near the doorway, watching with the rest. "Magebane, soldier's bane."

"Now you've seen that they're alive and in a decent shape," Ashton says. There's tension in her voice, and her staff is resting in her hand rather than on her back; she pulled it off as they entered. "And he feels fancied. We can talk about deals now."

Jovian's taken a spot near the far wall and the only window, Aleigh is outside and down the one step, watching, while Kian is at the other side of the door from Vidal.

"What are you offering?" Jovian asks.