The wolf in me stirred briefly, laying his muzzle on his paws. This could be a trap—and still, it’s the shortest way to water, he growled. He was right. Open speech is unrewarding here. But the night is more thankless still.
“What does ‘under my protection’ consist of?” I asked. “I understand the word; I’d like to see its contents before I behave as if I understood.”
Cassian answered. “Two guards will stand at the entrance even at night—not at your door, but at both ends of the corridor, because that’s what’s useful. We’ll move the servants’ quarters higher up: to a small room in the inner wing where only those on the list come and go. I write the list, and beside every entry I put a responsible name. You go to the kitchen only with an escort; if you’d go alone, Zoey carries the tray. Yo
