Iepa was already retreating, about to leave me, when I latched onto her with my maji power, anger returning. Sure, she'd proven she was on my side, okay. But I still had questions.

"You could have told me I was in imminent danger of being wiped out," I said.

She didn't fight me as I held her, hovering on the edge of the gash she'd made in the veil. "There was little reason to worry you. Either he and the others would destroy you, or they wouldn't. Prevention of the ...