Roderic stayed quiet after Valttair's last words. Until that point the mine had been a crime he could measure, with dead Morgain, altered beasts, hidden routes and alchemical equipment, and Valttair had now made it plain that none of it was the real reason he had asked for privacy.
"So the mine is where you begin," Roderic said. "Where do you intend to go from there?"
Valttair rested one hand against the arm of his chair. "To the Dead Meridian."
The answer sharpened Roderic's attention, though his face gave up nothing. Valttair reaching for the Meridian first meant he was assembling a chain rather than hurling accusations until one of them stuck.
"My people found evidence of an expedition there before ours," Valttair continued. "Not scattered explorers. An organized group with enough preparation to survive for months."
